


Copper Pots and Wooden Spoons

by AshandPomegranates



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adventure, Cooking, Drama, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Food, Getting to Know Each Other, Magic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:47:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 53,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26002888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshandPomegranates/pseuds/AshandPomegranates
Summary: Allie’s always been under the protection of her oppressive and overbearing uncle, often moving from place to place with him “for her own protection”. The reason? Allie has the ability to infuse magic into food, with wonderful ( or disastrous) results. After an explosive night, however, she finds herself dialing the number of one of her late brother’s old military friends, and being brought into the lifestyle of superheroes and magic men. Can she learn more about herself before the ones who killed her uncle return for her, or will fear and lack of confidence be her downfall? And what good could come from being distracted by the promise of a love that's sweeter than she’s ever tasted?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s), James Bucky Barnes/OC, Sam Wilson/OC, Thor/OC, Wanda/OC
Comments: 19
Kudos: 31





	1. Rainbow Cake and the Magician's Niece

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first fanfiction in over ten years. Enjoy.
> 
> Obvious disclaimers. I only own my OCs.

_...Learn to make this funfetti cake from scratch! Add as many sprinkles as you want for a bright and colorful experience! Below is the list of ingredients you will need. For the frosting, add your food coloring of choice...._

“Allie, what the hell are you doing?” called a voice. “Get down here!”

The woman gasped and snapped her laptop closed. Her eyes darted to the bedroom door.

“ Sorry!” she called out. “ I’m on my way down!”

Allie jumped from her bed, shoving her feet in her sneakers while snatching her apron off the back of the closet door. She pulled her bedroom door open, briefly taking a glance into the small mirror set up on her dresser. Her hair was still a mass of dark curls pulled back in a loose ponytail and tucked under a hair net. She still had some flour on her cheek, noticeable against her russet reddish-brown skin. She wiped at it as she closed the door and made her way down the narrow stairway, her hard flat shoes tapping loud on the old wood steps.

A dark man was standing in the doorway at the bottom, a scowl on his face. His short black hair and mustache were peppered with grey hairs.  
.  
“ Your break was for 30 minutes,” he said. “ What, did you fall asleep or something? We got customers down here!”

“Sorry, Uncle,” Allie said softly, trying to slide by the man as she tied her apron strings. He continued to fuss as she entered the kitchen amidst the numerous people working there, moving as well as they could in the small space. The lunch rush had just ended, but the dinner would be starting soon. The air was filled with the noises of people yelling orders, the clatter of dishes being washed and prepped for food and conversations from the dining area. Allie did her best to let her uncle’s words fade into the background hum of the restaurant and started on her duties.

“Sugar, spice, and everything nice,” she muttered to herself and took a deep calming breath.

Her uncle eventually stopped hovering over her in search for other prey, the scent of burning bacon drawing his ire elsewhere. It wasn’t until around six in the evening, when she glanced back up at the clock, that she even thought of the confetti cake again. 

It was only her and Sandy, one of the new girls, still in the kitchen area, while Allie’s uncle was straightening up the dining area. There was already a sign on the door with the word CLOSED written across it in fat red letters. All the others were gone home for the evening, and the last customer had been served and dismissed. Sandy was still loading dishes into the sink when Allie walked up. 

“Go on home,” she told her, leaning against the counter. “ You were supposed to get off 30 minutes ago.”

Sandy looked at her in confusion. “ But I still need to organize the cakes out of the freezer for the new display,” she said. “ I haven’t done that inventory yet.”

Allie smiled. “ I already did it while you were finishing up with the last customer.”

Sandy gasped. “ Allie, you didn’t have to do that! You’re too damn nice.”

“ It’s fine. I’ve done it loads of times. I wanted you to be able to make your movie date on time. You told me how bad you wanted to go. So go on. You still need to get ready, right?”

Sandy looked at her watch. “ Oh, shit. You’re right. Oh, thank you, girl! You are amazing.”

She grabbed her jacket, gave a short goodbye, and ducked out the back. Allie took her place at the sink, scrubbing the dishes. She turned up the radio and started to fill the sink with more warm soapy water. Maybe she was too nice, she thought. But that grateful smile on Sandy’s face made her grin. She did like seeing other people so happy. 

“We have an order coming up next week,” her uncle said in a low voice. It was only them left in the restaurant. He was sweeping in the dining area, pausing now and then to flip chairs up on the tables. Allie turned off the water in the sink and lowered her radio to hear him better.

“ Like, an order order?” she asked, trying to hide her excitement. 

“ Yeah,” he said. “ Couple of pound cakes, special order. Nothing fancy, just good health and positivity.”

Special. Mara knew what that meant. She hadn’t had a special order in so long.

“Oh, is it for a party? Maybe some happiness? Or joy? I could try laughter and amusement.”

The man let out a hard groan, and Allie fell silent. She knew what that meant.

“ None of that shit,” he said. “ Dammit, Allie. I just said simple. You start adding all that other shit and things get muddled. You know that.”

Allie tucked her chin, looking down at the soapy water in the sink. It was turning pink and purple from the frosting filled cupcake decorating tips she had been cleaning.

Maybe if you taught me how to handle the magic myself, she thought in annoyance. 

“Don’t get all pissy,” her Uncle said, noticing her dour expression. “ The customers can taste that in food, too.”

“I’m not trying to be pissy,” she responded, keeping her tone soft. She felt herself grow stiff as his footsteps came towards the doorway. It was a response she couldn’t help even now as an adult.

“Look, now,” he said. “ Simple stuff is better. It’s easier for you to control. Happiness, contentment, peace, that’s it. I already have to put down a ring of protection each time you do anything, and you can barely handle things then. I say keep it simple for your own protection. You know that.”

“So when can I start to do things myself?” she asked cautiously, not looking up. “I can be taught, you know.”

“Shit, girl, you know how clumsy you are,” he responded. There was a laugh, and Allie felt herself relax just slightly. “ You still let things out. It’s a blessing you only leak happiness around the diner. I start letting you put your own barrier down and doing things your way, and the next thing you know the damn bakery will be on fire.”

Allie bit the inside of her lip. 

“I’m not twelve anymore, Uncle,” she said. “ I am capable of doing things on my own. I can follow a recipe. I know how to make cakes and pastries from scratch, decorate and plate them. I can cook a full breakfast by myself. I want to learn more, all the time. New dishes and new foods. I wanted to go to that school -”

“If I had let you go to that cooking school, you would have fucked up and been found out and you know it,” he snapped at her. “ You know all the shit that could happen to a girl that has powers over food? What do you think the government would do with someone like you? Or some money hungry cooperation? Or worse? You can’t protect yourself. You don’t know what’s really out there. Face it, you’re safest with me. You know it, I know it.”

Allie looked down in the soapy water, the colors swirling around her dark hands like a dreamy sky. She didn’t have the energy to argue right now. She could only think of the mistakes she had made on and off the last few times she tried to cook with her powers without him around. She still just didn’t know enough, no matter how many notes she tried to sneak or ways she watched him out the corner of her eye.

“Yes, Uncle,” she said in a monotonous voice. She squirted more green soap on the sponge and resumed her cleaning, losing herself in it. When her Uncle was satisfied that she wouldn’t say anything else back, he went back to sweeping. She turned up the radio, and they continued as they had.

Allie felt the anger rising in her, but fought to keep it down. Sure, she stayed with him because of needing help, but she wouldn’t need so much help if he actually just taught her how to do things right. She didn’t ask to have the abilities she did, and she didn’t mean to cause trouble. She was still living with him even now, as an adult, and he didn’t give her any of the respect that she felt she deserved. She knew why he really kept her around, she thought bitterly. He knew it, and she knew it. The very moment she could achieve her real goal, she would be gone. She blinked back tears as best as she could. She even had a bag upstairs, constantly packed, just in case she ever got the chance to take off. Originally it was just for when they had to leave in the middle of the night but lately she thought of herself escaping without him. 

“ Shit, is it after eight already?” he said, walking back into the kitchen. “I am going to be late for my meeting.”

“ Oh, your meeting is tonight?” Allie said, surprised.

“Yes, it is. Don’t try to keep up with my schedule, now,” he said sharply.

More secrets. Mysteries upon mysteries. 

“You finish up here, already? No foolishness. I’ll be back around midnight. Go to bed on time, I need you down here at 8 am tomorrow.”

Allie looked up. “ But tomorrow is my day off.”

“Not anymore,” he said flatly.

Allie nodded, and said nothing. She stayed at the sink until her uncle had left, the sound of the back door closing behind him. After waiting for his car’s engine to rumble to life and fade away, she ran upstairs and grabbed her phone. Now was the perfect time. Now she would prove him wrong.

She sat up her phone on the edge of the counter, propped against a cooking bowl, and pulled out all her ingredients. She read and reread the recipe, making sure to only get what was needed. She had cooked by herself before, and made countless deserts, but this time would be different. 

Before she started, she knew she needed to put down a barrier. It would keep any stray power confined to the area. What could she use to protect her magic though? She didn’t know where her uncle kept his special chalk. It was tucked away somewhere with all his other supplies for magic, always hidden away from her. After a moment, Allie picked up a handful of flour and carefully sprinkled it across the doorways of the kitchen, first the one leading to the hallway that faced the back door, and then the one that connected to the main room of the restaurant. That should work, right? She had seen her uncle use it before in a pinch when they had a rush order of three dozen cupcakes to be infused with camaraderie and excitement for a football game. She muttered the words and made the small symbols across the thresholds. She reached out with her magic and pressed against the barriers, feeling a faint resistance. It would hold.

As she mixed the batter, she cleared her mind, took a deep breath, and tried to focus. Happiness. That could work. It wouldn’t be too obvious, and she could stick the cake in the back of the freezer, and slice it up to serve later on. The bakery had a case dedicated to various cake flavor slices, so her work could blend in among the others. 

She turned up the radio to a pop music station, and danced around the kitchen, folding ideas into the batter. She let her mind fill with images of colorful birthday parties, kids yelling with elation at their little games and chasing each other around. She thought of people in the park for summer music festivals, crowds milling about a carnival looking for the next ride...the thoughts came with ease, stirred on by the music. Allie thought to reel herself in, trying to be careful, but by the time she was working on the buttercream icing, separating them into different bowls to color in an attempt at rainbow frosting, she had lost herself in her own euphoria.

Maybe this was too much.

No, this was fine. 

She would show her uncle that she was more than capable of handling this. She would carefully and quickly, and once she proved herself to him, then maybe she could get to that culinary school. Or maybe, she could just get away from him. 

She was putting the rosettes of rainbow frosting on the top of the cake, pouring herself into their design, focusing some of her power into each little flower. Wait, wasn’t this more than she had done before? Too much into a single cake...

No, no, this was fine. 

It was fine.

She could do this. 

It looked perfect. 

She threw some sprinkles across the top, and giggled to herself. 

This was awesome. 

It was beautiful. 

And she had done it herself. No one was leaning over her shoulder at all. No one - 

“ Allie, what the hell are you doing?” her uncle’s voice cut through the air like a knife.  
She spun on her heels, and watched him storm through the back door. Wait, what time was it? She looked up at the wall clock. Had it really been three hours? And what was...she covered in flour and frosting? It was...it was everywhere. She looked down at the cake, surprised. It wasn’t as beautiful as she had thought. It was aggressively vibrant, nearly pulsating with technicolor. How had she managed to spill red food coloring on it?

Allie touched her face, and realized with horror that it wasn’t food coloring...it was blood. 

Her blood.

She looked up at her uncle, the excitement dying away from her with such a sharp force that everything seemed to stop. The lights flickered. The radio turned to static. She took into account the numerous items floating around the kitchen as they fell to the ground with a thunderous clatter.

“ Look at what you’ve done!” he said. “ It’s everywhere!”

“I can clean it up,” she said, trying to grab things off the floor. “ I can...I can clean up the flour and stuff. It’s just food, Uncle.”

Her head was spinning now. She almost had to brace herself on the counter. When did she even start bleeding? She grabbed for a kitchen towel, trying to staunch the flow.

“ Not the food,” he continued to roar. He spun in a circle. “ The magic! I could sense you from the damn parking lot. You’ve...did you even try to put down a barrier?” 

Allie looked at the flour border at the doorways. Why did they look so...warped? The soft powder seemed to bend at the edge of her vision.

“I put down flour,” she said weakly, pulling the towel from her face for a moment. “ You said it could work.”

“You....dammit, you stupid girl! You can’t use flour!”

“But you had -,” she started.

“ _You_ personally cannot use it. It’s too closely tied to your magic. You literally invested it! I can do it because my magic prevents yours from doing...this!”

Allie stared at the flour in horror. She reached her hand out towards it, and realized how...thick the air felt.

“ The air feels...” she started, moving her hand back and forth. It was like it was traveling through water, glistening where her fingers passed through. How much power had poured out of her? She was literally swimming in her own power.

“It’s your damn magic!” the man yelled at her. “ You’ve...saturated everything in the kitchen! Everything!”

She looked around the kitchen. He was right. It was on everything like a thin shimmering mist, barely noticeable to the untrained eye, but pulsing with energy all the same. On the countertops, the bowls, the oven, the mixer.

He was livid now, nostrils flared and eyes wide. She started to feel shitty, but her passion was still there. Her power was still there, tugging at other emotions in her.

“ But I did it,” she said harshly. “ Look what I did. I made a cake, on my own. I still made something wonderful. Excitement and happiness. All in one cake.”

Her uncle leaned towards the cake and gave a sniff. “ Excitement? This smells like pure mania.”

“You didn’t even taste it!’ she snapped back, momentarily forgetting the fact that her blood has dripped all over it. It was still dripping from her nose, covering her shirt and apron front.

“Go pack your things,” he said. “ We have to leave. This is...this is too much to try to clean up.”

“What? We can’t just leave because of a mess...”

“ This is too much magic to clean up in time!” he roared. “ You stupid fucking girl, what have you done? This is why I say you can’t do this shit without me here. You can’t do shit by yourself! I have to take care of you. Do you realize how much that takes to do? Watching over every little thing you do to make sure you don’t fuck up? This right here is proof...”

“Bullshit!” she yelled back, the tears starting. “ I can do plenty without you, and I could do even more if you ever bothered to teach me shit!”

“ I taught you all you needed to know,” he retorted. “ Any more, and you’d just get yourself in trouble.”

“I’m so sick of you!” she finally said. 

“You know damn well you can’t make it out there without me. That’s why you stay here anyway. So I can take care of you.”

“That’s not true!” She argued. No, she would not cry. She would not let him make her cry again. 

“ Do you know how to protect yourself? Do you know what I have to do to make sure you are safe? To keep you safe, huh? Do you know what I had given up?”

Given up? What the hell did he even mean by that?

“ Then I will leave!” she screamed at him, pushing past him to storm upstairs. 

“Just grab your shit so we can go!” he called after her. “ I’m serious, Allie. You don’t know what you’ve done this time!”

Allie pulled her bag from under her bed, checking to see if all her things were in it. Her favorite knife set, a present that was still unopened, was snuggly stuck in there. She didn’t have much she wanted to take with her, but did notice her favorite sweatpants and tank top slung over the foot of her bed. She stuffed that in on top of everything else,including some underwear. She was getting ready to leave alright, but without him. She had some money stashed at the bottom of her bag. Not a lot, but enough to get away. She didn’t care anymore. She wanted to live her own life. Now out of the miasma of her own making, Allie was able to breathe and think a bit clearer. She sat on the bed’s edge, tilting her head back as she checked to see if the bleeding had stopped. She had probably pushed herself too hard. It had never been this bad before. Dammit...

Allie paused to grab her old worn wallet, and flipped it open. Across from a collection of cards and a shitty ID photo she hated, there was a photo wedged in a little plastic window. It was the only picture she had of her brother. She missed him more than she could ever say now. He smiled up at her from the photograph, dressed in his BDUs with a wide grin plastered on his face. He was surrounded by his friends, and looked genuinely happy. She ran a thumb over his image. Why couldn’t he be here? Why couldn’t he be the one taking care of her? He would have explained things, not just yelled and ordered her around. She bit her lip, tears starting anew. 

She had slung the bag over her shoulder when she heard the crash from downstairs. What was her uncle doing now? She imagined him being frantic like he was the last time they had to leave suddenly, in the middle of the night when he had grabbed her out of bed and they had to ride three states over. It had been bizarre even then.

Allie opened the door, and started down the stairs when she heard yelling, and a familiar voice crying out in pain. She jumped, covering her mouth. It was her uncle.

Carefully, Allie crept down the stairs and into the kitchen. She leaned out the doorway, and looked on as a massive creature had her uncle pinned to the wall. It looked like a monstrous lion from behind, with claw-like hands wrapped around the man’s middle. Another figure stood nearby, a woman half concealed in shadow. Something dark flowed down her back, but Allie couldn’t tell if it was hair or a cloak. The front door of the restaurant was shattered on the ground, several tables tossed away. 

Allie caught bits and pieces of the conversation going on.

“-Make this easy for you,” the woman’s voice was saying. “ Where is she?”

“ Ain’t nobody here but me,” her uncle was wheezing out. “ So if you don’t mind fucking off, I’d appreciate that.”

“You know what? Go ahead and crush a few of his ribs,” she said in a flippant manner, waving a dark hand dismissively through the air. 

Fear had her frozen in place, struggling to make sense of what she was seeing. A scream went through the air, her uncle crying out as the monster pressed him harder against the wall.  
Without thinking, Allie grabbed a pot out of the sink and hurled it through the doorway. The pot flew through the room, landing with a metallic ring against the back of the monster's head.  
The figure turned towards her, and she could hear a soft chuckle come from it.

“There she is.” The words were like an icy touch and she froze. The woman turned to look at her, and their eyes met. The woman lifted her arm toward her. Allie felt nausea start to overtake her, and grabbed the edge of the counter. 

A blast of light erupted through the room, followed by a loud crash. Allie stumbled backwards, throwing her arm up, before the darkness returned. The opposite wall was blown out of the front of the building, the remains of chairs and tables scattered throughout the decemated room. Allie was able to stand up straight, the sickness retreating. She made her way towards her uncle, realizing he was in a collapsed heap at the bottom of the wall. He still had his hand held out in the direction of the blast. The two strangers were nowhere to be seen. 

“Uncle, get up!” she said, tugging on him. “ Come on, before they come back.”

He grabbed her arm, and stared up at her. 

“ Take the car,” he said. “ And go. My bag is in the trunk. Just get out of here.”

She frowned. “ No, Uncle, look, I’m not leaving you here...” she said. Sure, she had been so fucking annoyed with this mean ass man, but he was still the only real family she had left. He was looking at her, blood trickling from a gash on his forehead down his face. He suddenly looked so old, and so tired.

“Allie, they aren’t here for me,” he said pointedly. “ You need to go. I will hold them off.”

He struggled to his feet, gripping Allie for support. He shoved a hand in his pocket and yanked out the car keys, shoving them into her hand.

“ Drive as far as you can. Get into the city. I will call you when it’s safe. Don’t come back here, okay? Get to a waffle house or something like that. Somewhere open and with people.”

“ Uncle, I can’t leave you. You...you are all I have left.” The pitiful words tumbled out her mouth. 

“No time for that, now,” he said, dusting his jacket off. Noticing the number of rips in it, he shrugged it off altogether and through it down. 

“ Damn thing ruined my best jacket.”

He looked at her. “ Look, this isn’t fair to you, but right now I need you to be strong, okay. Now get the fuck out of here before they come back.”  
“But-”

“NOW!”

Allie nodded, giving him a quick hug before running back towards the kitchen. Already,she could see shapes coming out of the darkness through the hole in the building. As she dived through the kitchen, she snatched up the radio and headed to the back door.

She stopped short as a figure came into view, blocking the light from the street pole outside. At first, all she could see was the leering face of an impossibly tall woman in a strange sequined dress, dark hair almost reaching to the floor. Her eyes followed the hair down, and that’s when she noticed her bottom half wasn’t sequins. It was scales, light from the kitchen flickering off them. 

Allie slid to a stop and yanked the basement door open, putting a barrier between herself and the half snake woman. She dove down the stairs, thankful some of the hanging lights were still on. The basement was halfway a series of tunnels, some leftover remnants for smuggling in and out of the nearby buildings that connected them all together. She followed the one she was familiar with that opened to the backside of the grocery next door. She burst out the door and scampered up the steps, the late night southern air warm against her face. She looked around, trying to stop her panic long enough to concentrate. 

Where was the car? Find the car. 

She spotted it down the dark street, and ran to it, keys already out in her hand. It couldn’t be seen from the front of the bakery, and she hoped she could reach it in time. Please, let her reach it in time. Her legs were pumping hard, and soon her lungs would be screaming against the strain.

She reached the vehicle, unlocking it, and clammored in, slamming the door shut. She shunted her bag and radio into the back, and shoved the keys into the ignition with shaky hands.

The engine turned over, blessedly quiet, and she quickly turned off the automatic lights. Pulling out onto the road, she started to drive away and was nearly at the end of the street when she stopped.

She couldn’t leave him like that. No matter how shitty he had been to her, how could she just leave him like that? Fighting, even dying for her sake?

She started to turn around in the street and head back when an explosion erupted through the air. The car shook from the shockwave. Allie looked up and gasped.

The bakery was on fire.

She grabbed her phone out of her bag, and got out of the car, panic over riding her senses. She didn’t care what her uncle had taught her about leaving the police out of their business, this was an emergency that warranted it. 

She dialed the numbers and moved to press send, trying to imagine what she would tell them. What could she tell them? Monsters attacked my magical uncle? 

The force hit her so hard she fell backwards, dazed, landing on her side. Allie looked up in time to see the leonine beast leering over her, growling. She scrambled for her phone, trying to unlock it before it reached her. Her fingers fumbled and she struggled to navigate the lock screen. Her camera opened instead. Allie lifted it, having an idea, and pressed the button. The automatic flash illuminated the area for a second as the photo was snapped. The beast let out a snarl, it’s night vision momentarily destroyed. Allie got herself up and dived towards the car. She got into the driver’s seat, thankful the car was still on. 

Two claws emerged, one gripping the door and the other sinking into her leg. 

“Stupid bitch!” a gravelly voice roared, and the claw around her leg started to pull. Allie screamed, grabbing for anything she could hold on to in the car. She couldn’t let it take her. She kicked at it with her free foot, trying to prevent it from getting a better hold.

Allie’s eyes fell on the spilled contents of her backpack. There, halfway out of the broken case, was the handle of one of her knives. She grabbed at it, wrapping her fingers around the black plastic as the monster yanked her from the car. The moment pulled the knife free, she gripped it in her hand. 

“Get...off of me!” she yelled, leaning forward, and slashed with the knife. The iridescent blade seemed to shine with an unnatural glint in the strained streetlight, but it found it’s target, slicing through the monster’s arm with ease. There was a howl of pain as it pulled away from her, and stumbled back, clutching its arm. 

It was shouting a fury of curses at her, but Allie didn’t care. She slammed the car door shut, shifted into drive, and stepped on the gas, speeding away into the night.


	2. Coffee and a Call for Help

Allie pulled into the dark parking lot of the all night diner so fast she almost went over the curb. She put the car on the far side of the building, and looked over to the tall yellow sign with black letters, a beckoning alert for anyone out late in the southern United States. 

Waffle House.

There were a number of cars parked closer to the illuminated building. Through the large wide windows Allie could see a variety of people milling about inside. She realized it was a Saturday night, accounting for the crowd. Would coming to a crowded place put other people in danger? Her uncle had told her, however, to come to a public place for safety.

She took account of herself. Her shirt was torn, her thigh was sore and bleeding, and there was a bloody knife in the car floorboards. She paused to think. What had she seen in all those murder investigation shows before? If she walked into the place looking like this, it would be unusual as hell right? She glanced out the window. 

However, it was a Waffle House on the weekend. She knew from past experiences that she wasn’t too different from what typically passed through the door of the all night southern food chain.  
Grabbing her bag, Allie walked into the restaurant and made a beeline for the bathroom. It was thankfully empty. 

She did her best to patch herself up, change into her emergency clothing, and do some bare minimum care on her leg. It wasn’t too deep of a wound, but the blood had started to dry and crust to the fabric, so she had to peel her jeans off her body. She washed the wound, and worked with diligence and a patience she didn’t even know she had. She glanced up in the mirror, and froze.

Her deep brown eyes were red from crying. There was still flour on her face, mixed with some dust rubble of the wall. There was still some red crust around her nose from her nose bleeding earlier. Allie pulled out a bottle of baby wash from her bag, something she had packed ages ago, and started to try and clean her face and hands. She changed into clean pants and shirt, tugging on a hoodie, and stuffing the others down in her bag. She checked her reflection again. It was better, more like an exhausted college student than a girl running from monsters. Not perfect, but better.  
She walked out the bathroom and made her way to a booth in the back. Though crowded, there wasn’t a line for seats. 

“ Hey, I’ll be right with you,” a pale faced girl in a blue button up top called across the space. Allie gave a friendly wave and pulled out her wallet. She had plenty of money, for sure. She flipped through it, looking at the few cards she had in there. A few empty gift cards, some business cards, a strawberry sticker she loved but never figured out what to stick it on. Her hands were shaking as she went, and she kept glancing around the place. Only a few eyes landed on her, but most people were laughing loud with friends, eating and snickering in half drunk conversations. The smell of hot food and sizzling bacon reached her nose.

She glanced at the menu. What could she even try to stomach down right now?  
“ Hi. I’m Josephine. Are you ready to order?” the waitress said in a chipper voice. She had a laugh on her lips from a previous customer that hadn’t quite died away yet, and her red painted mouth was still in a half smile.

“ Um...I’ll take...grilled cheese and bacon sandwich. Two of those. And some cheese grits. And...um...cheese eggs. Just two.”

“Anything to drink?” she asked.

“Oh, shit. Um...just water. Wait, no. Some coffee too, please.”

Josephine scribbled on her pad.

“ Late night?” she said.

“ Oh, yeah. Been trying to cram for some tests,” Allie said, and gave her best customer service smile back. She made a little light talk, sinking into the role of the pleasantly happy girl quite easily. The woman seemed to believe it, and went to put her order in.

Allie sighed, and picked the wallet back up. Her fingers found the photo of her brother again. He was smiling, his arm around two other men in the photo. She turned it over and read the names, though she had read them before many times.  
Maybe the number still worked, she thought, swallowing.

The waitress returned with her water, and she realized quickly how thirsty she had been  
She thumbed through the tiny pockets of her wallet until she pulled out the white card, the corners creased down. She was so thankful she never threw it away. 

She stared at the phone number, before reading the name again. Would he even remember her? It had been so long. She pulled out her phone, and thought about going outside to make the call. But fear struck her heart. She couldn’t bear to step foot outside the building. Despite the crowd of people and huge wide windows, she felt somewhat safe there. 

She went over what to say for several minutes, trying to work up the courage to make the call.  
She could do this. She could do it.

Allie dialed the number and lifted the phone to her ear. She wondered if it was even still his number. Oh, no, what if it was the wrong number?

There was no answer. She almost hung up when she realized she was reaching his voice mail.  
“ This is Sam Wilson’s phone. You know what to do.”

She listened for the beep, then spoke.

“ Hey, uh Sam? I don’t know if you remember me or not. This is Allie, David’s little sister. I know this is out of the blue, but I had been going through my wallet and I found your number, and I remember David saying if I ever ran into real bad trouble that I should...call you...and you could help, and...” she was fighting against her voice breaking. “ I...uh...I’m in some real bad trouble. I’m...there are some things after me, and my uncle is...I...um...just please, call me back when you can.”

She left her own phone number and hung up. Well, that was a fucking mess. She laughed to herself and sat back. Okay, so...all she could do was...wait.

The waitress brought her food and left the ticket. Allie tugged a 50 out of her wallet and laid it on the bill.

“ Uh...you can keep the change,” she told her. The waitress smiled broadly.

Allie ate as much as she could, and watched videos on her phone. It was all she could do to not jump at every moment outside the window, or car that pulled up. She went over plans and ideas, thinking of if Sam never called her back what would she do. So many times her uncle had uprooted them and they disappeared in the night to another location. He had often told her that some places were just not safe anymore, or were becoming too risky with gaining exposure and attention. He had said there would be people that could come after them, people who knew the truth of her and her powers. She had thought of it as a weird game when she was younger, the chance of going somewhere new at any moment. She had more than enough memories of waking up in the middle of the night and curling up in the back of a car. Long dark highways, late night drive thrus and quick gas station meals, motel stays with her reading a book or watching low reception television while her uncle fussed over his books and maps or argued vehemently with someone on the phone. 

Allie blinked back tears. What would she do now without him? He kept so much from her, and now she had no information to go on. And their last lone conversation had been...less than familial. 

There was the sound of a commotion. Two of the three waitresses were arguing, and bad. The cook stepped between the two, before it escalated to them disappearing into the back. Allie watched out of curiosity for a moment. Neither of them came back.

Josephine was quickly becoming overwhelmed. The dishes had piled up in the sink, and another group of rowdy drunk people had come in, sitting in some still dirty booths. Allie looked at her phone. Josephine was struggling to get the dishes off the table. Three more cars pulled up.  
Josephine’s face fell.  
Allie breathed deep. The woman was about to be completely overwhelmed. Allie closed her phone and rose up. Checking her bag, she grabbed the plates from the table in front of her, and then the one next to it.  
“ Oh shit, no, don’t do that! You don’t have to!” she heard Josephine say.

Allie was already carrying them to the sink.

“ I’ve worked in nearly a half a dozen restaurants,” Allie said, stacking the plates in the sink. “ I know it’s not allowed, but let me help you out real quick, okay?”

She wasn't in a position to argue. Even the cook, already taking orders from some of the other customers, called out, “ Jo, let her help!”

The girl nodded, looking close to tears. “ Thank you, really.”

Allie was thankful for the distraction. She fell into a rhythm in the place, collecting and washing plates, helping to deliver and refill drinks, and even taking out food to the tables that were pointed out to her. She had to sometimes take orders, writing them down on napkins and handing them to Josephine. She didn’t know the strange lingo that the waitress was writing in on her yellow pad, but it was only a slight slow down. Allie wasn’t above trying to get some relief in the place. She knew she shouldn’t be using a damn bit of magic, but times were desperate. Some of the drunks were less than pleasant, and she was quick to mix sobriety and quiet into their sodas. 

Josephine finally rushed her away from the sink near 5 in the morning. Allie, sinking into the booth, felt exhaustion starting to creep up on her. She fought against it. She was no stranger to doing fourteen hour shifts on her feet all day in a restaurant, but the added need for constant alertness was weighing on her now.  
Jo came to the table, wanting to give her part of the tip money gathered. Allie refused, instead taking a slice of chocolate pie as a thank you for her work.

She knew she had used more power than she meant. She’d be fine, she thought. She’d get a coffee before she left.

Her phone rang.

Allie jumped, and thought briefly if it was her Uncle before seeing it was a number she didn’t recognize.

“ Hello?” she said.

“ Hey, is this Allie?”

“Holy shit, Sam! I mean, yeah, it’s me,” Allie said, sitting up in the booth. She ran her hands through her hair, tugging at the tangles that were starting to form.

“ What’s going on? Where are you?”

“One sec,” she said. “Let me get outside.”

She got up, grabbed her bag, and went to her car.

“ Okay...” she started, and explained to Sam as best as she could what had happened.

“ I remember your brother saying how you were traveling with your Uncle a lot, but I didn’t know that was the reason,” he said. “ Where are you now? Are you safe?”

“I’m at a Waffle House about an hour outside of Atlanta. I...was not sure where else to go.”

“ No one followed you?”

“Not that I can tell,” she said. “ Wait, so...you believe me? Really?”

“Look, I’ve seen some...weird shit since I’ve joined the Avengers, so your story is surprising, but not completely unbelievable. Now I’m going to give you a location. I want you to get there and stay put. Call me as soon as you reach this location, okay?”

Two hours later, Allie was sitting in a small dark apartment. She had driven straight there after getting off the phone with Sam. It was a safe house from SHIELD days, he said, now only occasionally used but still operational. Allie made the trip with no trouble, but was so exhausted she didn’t care about the state of the place. She had ventured back into the Waffle House to make herself a cup of coffee for the road, pouring some alertness into the hot liquid along with cream and sugar, and got in the car. The highway was desolate this early in the morning except for a few tractor trailer trucks. Normally Allie would have loved putting on something lively for the morning hours, but at this point she didn’t really have any heart for it. Her uncle’s CDs were kept meticulously in a CD case, with a few of her own shoved in the back in the extra slots. She had eventually decided on a Squirrel Nut Zippers album, and let it carry her to the coordinates of the safe house. 

She had to stop just once more for gas, and filled the tank while looking over her shoulder the entire time. Then back on the road.

When she arrived, made sure to take everything out of the car in case...well, in case she never saw the car again. There was no sentiment to it ( she had long ago learned to let go of sentiment to places and vehicles) but things like the CD case held some meaning for her.

She called Sam to let her know she made it, finding the key in the hiding spot, and fought off a yawn as she answered him when he told her to stay put until he got there. The coffee was wearing off fast. The bed looked clean enough, so she crawled on the mattress. Her backpack, heavier now with the added weight of her uncle’s bag and the CDs stuffed into it, was unceremoniously shoved under the edge of the bed. She stared at the phone off and on, waiting for Sam’s message. 

He finally sent a short. Allie tucked back into dozing, curled up on the mattress, and tried to get something that resembled sleep. Her nerves were too wired, and at the slightest noise, she kept snapping awake. 

There was a knock at the door. In her sleep-deprived state, Allie wondered out loud, “ Sam, is that you?”

“ Allie,” her uncle’s voice called out. “ Allie, let me in, quick.”

The woman sat up straight, her blood running cold. Her curls tumbled in her face, the hair tie lost somewhere in the bedding. 

“Uncle?” she said, getting off the bed. “You’re okay?” 

She was almost to the front door before sense started to override her mind.

“ Wait...how did you find me?” she said, stopping short. She had her hand raised to grab the door handle.

“ Allie, goddammit, we don’t have time for these questions! Open up, quickly!” he responded in that familiar commanding tone. Allie lowered her arm, alarms going off in her mind. 

“ No...that’s not right. That doesn’t make sense,” she said. “ You wouldn’t know I was here unless you followed me...” 

A dark laugh started. Allie stared at the front door, her breath quickening.  
“ I can smell you,” the voice said, turning into a growl. “ I can smell your fear, little girl. I’m coming for you...”

Allie stepped backward, shaking her head. No. That voice...it was the large monster from before. 

The door started to shake with a violent bang. The creature was going to break it down. Allie ran to the bedroom, slamming and locking the door. She reached into her bookbag, grabbing the bloodied knife, and opened the bedroom window. 

Maybe it will work? 

She didn’t know. She tucked herself into the closet, holding her breath as the front door exploded off the hinges. The monster was in the apartment.  
Allie pressed against the back of the closet, tucking her knees against her chest, clutching the knife to her chest. She wanted to risk calling Sam, or even trying to send him a message, but the fear of the little light being seen under the door kept her hand at bay.  
Thunderous steps echoed through the apartment.  
There was an angry rattle. The bedroom door started to shake. It fell away with a crash like the front door. Allie covered her mouth, trying to smother the sounds of her frightened breathing.

Please, Sam, she was thinking. Get here soon.

Please, God, let him get here. 

Please don’t let this thing find me. 

A shadow passed by the closet. The steps traveled from the left to the right and stopped. She could hear a growl and a voice say, “ Dammit, she went out the window. Fuck, we will catch her.”

The footsteps faded away. Allie sat in silence for several more minutes. Was he gone? She opened the door and leaned out, looking around. No movement. Nothing. She crept forward, seeing the edge of her backpack sticking out from under the bed. Okay, okay...She could do this. She crawled forward towards the bed.

“Gotcha!”

Allie screamed. The lion-like creature burst from the bathroom and pounced. She swung the knife towards him. He was quicker, kicking her in the side. The knife skidded across the floor. 

“Enough of that,” he growled at her. She could see him better in the daylight. He was tall and muscular, a humanoid body with a lion’s head and mane. He grabbed her with a clawed hand and started to drag her toward the living room. She could see where she had stabbed him before, the wound crusted over with blood on his hand. 

Allie crawled back as he approached her.

“How did you find me?” she said, letting her eyes dart around the room. The knife was several feet away, but if she lunged at it, he would be on her before she could even lift it.

“Oh, your scent of course,” he responded, stalking towards her. “ You are just oozing magic, leaving a trail everywhere. Someone doesn’t know how to clean up behind themselves.”

“I...I didn’t think my magic would leave a trail like that,” she said weakly. 

“Oh, it’s not just your magic,” he growled, lifting a brown crusted claw. “ See, I’ve tasted your blood. I know how to find you no matter where you run now.”

Allie’s eyes opened wide in fear. “ That’s not...”

“You sure about that?” he said. He was dragging it out, obvious in his enjoyment of her fear. 

“I don’t even understand what you want with me, ” she replied. Keep him talking, she thought. Distract him. She kept inching back, bit by bit.

“ Oh, it’s not me that wants you. It’s her. Me, I’m just here for the thrill of the chase,” he finished the sentence with a harsh laugh that was somewhere between comical and terrifying.

“Who, that weird girl that had made me nauseous?”

He shook his bushy head. “ No, no. Not her. Now enough questions. I still need to pay you back for your little knife play earlier.”

Allie turned and lunged for the knife. Her fingertips brushed it as he gripped her injured leg and yanked her across the hardwood floor. She cried out, and turned to kick him. He grabbed her other foot as she struggled.

“ Kick me one more time, and I’ll break your fucking legs!” he growled at her. “ Now shut up or I’ll drag you the entire way!”  
He had her into the living room when Allie tried to grab the door frame, slowing his progress.

“Let go!” he exclaimed, leaning over her to pry her hands away. He let go of her foot for a second, and she kicked him square in the face. He turned to look at her with a slowness. Blood was trickling from his nose. 

“ Fine, if you wanna do this the hard way,” he said, stalking towards her.

“Hey!” a voice called out. 

The beast turned around just in time to receive a kick square in the side of his face. He stumbled into the living room, cursing, falling over the couch. Allie looked to see her savior, a dark-skinned man in jeans and a grey shirt. His jaw was set tight as he ran to her side.

“You okay, Allie?” 

“Sam?” she said in a half-choked voice.

“ Come on, let’s get you out of here,” he said, helping her to her feet.

“ Wait,” she said, snatching up her backpack and the blood-stained knife.

The beast rose to his feet, leaping at Sam. He threw him to the ground with a crushing noise. Allie screamed. 

“ Just go!” Sam said. “ Run!”

Lifting the knife in her hand, Allie sunk it into the back of the monster’s leg. It let out a howling sound of pain. She yanked the knife back out and stabbed again. The knife slid into the beast like a pack of beef. She raised the knife to stab him again, anger and frustration taking over. He had taken away her only family. 

The monster roared in pain. Sam was able to get from underneath him. He grabbed Allie’s arm before she swung again.

“ Let’s go, come on,” he said. She nodded, half walking, half limping after him. She turned to follow him down the stairwell. The monster lolled on the ground, blood pouring from his backside.

They were halfway to the bottom when a thunderous roar sounded above.

“You are gonna have to explain to me how you managed to piss off Lion-O,” he said.  
The stairwell shook. He was coming after them.

At the doorway stood a tall man with blonde hair cropped short, dressed similarly to Sam. Allie nearly ran smack into his large chest. She stumbled back for a moment, looking at him.

“ You okay?” he said, catching her.

She tilted her head. “ You’re...”

Sam hissed behind her, “Get to the car. You can get an autograph later.”

“What’s going on up there?” the man said. He ushered them out of the building. Allie could see a car at the end of the driveway, a redhead woman leaning against the back of the car. She stood up straight as they approached. 

Something zipped by Allie’s head, exploding into the sidewalk next to her. 

“ Where the hell?” The woman said. They all looked up in time to see a figure on top of an adjacent building, their silhouette backed by the morning sun rising. The outline of a gun could barely be made out. 

Sam opened the back door of the car and pushed Allie in, climbing in after her. 

A moment later, they were speeding down the road, the woman driving and the blonde man in the passenger seat. The ride was silent as they sped down the road. 

“Everyone okay?” The woman said. 

“ Yeah, I think so. Sam, you and Allie okay?” the blonde said. 

Sam looked at Allie. She was staring down at her hands, still covered in the blood of the monster. 

“ Allie,” he said. “ Hey. Look at me.”

She turned to him, her lip trembling. Her brown eyes met his. She was trying to keep her hands from shaking, but couldn’t. She tried to talk, but all that came out was a hard choked sob.

“Hey, hey,” he said, and pulled her into a hug. 

Allie couldn’t help herself. She broke down, the weight from all that had happened in such a short amount of time crashing down. The frail walls that her strength had been built on crumbled to pieces. The adrenaline had worn off, and soon exhaustion took her completely over. Curled against the man, she fell into a deep sleep.


	3. Club Sandwich and A Doctor Appointment

Allie yawned, the fuzzy warmth of sleep fading from her mind. She was confused for a moment. This wasn’t her Uncle’s car. Were they flying somewhere this time? Weren’t they leaving the bakery going somewhere else? Then the memories of what really had been happening came back to her mind. She felt like crying all over again, but was also so dried up she didn’t want to anymore. Instead, she leaned her head against the plane window, staring down at the clouds below. 

“ Hey Allie.”

She looked up. Sam was walking up to her, a glass of water in hand. He sat it on the table in front of her, along with several white pills that proved to be ibuprofen.

“ Thank you,” she said softly, taking them and draining the glass. She looked around at the plane again, amazed by the set up. Along each side were a series of seats and table tops, with a large screen television on a nearby wall in the middle. She glanced over to her left and spotted a dark oak cabinet with a glossy bar top. Liquor bottles lined the shelves behind it. 

“I can’t believe Tony Stark let you borrow his private jet just to come get me,” Allie said, sitting up.

“ Well, it wasn’t without some compromise,” the blonde man said, walking up. He sat in a seat across from them, book in hand. “Tony wanted us to pick up some things for him.”

“ Allie,” Sam said. “ I don’t know if you remember, but I’ll introduce you again. This is Steve Rogers, and that is Natasha in the pilot seat.”

He pointed towards the front of the plane, where the red head was seated.  
Allie waved shyly to them both before turning back to Sam.

“ Are you feeling better?” he asked.

“A bit,” she said, shifting in her seat. Her thigh was still sore, and nearly every muscle in her body ached. She leaned her head against the back of the seat.

“You fought well back there. Your brother would be proud,” Sam said. 

“ I had wanted to learn how to fight,” said Allie, “ but David was always afraid I’d get hurt and my Uncle wasn’t a very patient teacher.”

Sam snorted. “As much as David used to get in fights on the base?”

She giggled. She hadn’t seen Sam in ages, but memories of meeting him before and hanging out with him and David on the rare occasions she saw her brother did come back to her mind. There weren’t many people she could talk to about her brother.

“ Look, do you feel up to answering some questions?” he said gently. “ Just a little talk. If you don’t want to do it now, I understand. I am just trying to figure out what’s going on.”

“No, no,” Allie said, sitting up. “ I...I can do it now.” This man had been body slammed trying to protect her. “ I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

“How about starting at the beginning?” he said. “ If you can.”

Allie took a deep breath.

“ Okay, so...ever since I was younger, I’ve had this...gift. With cooking and baking. If I spend any significant amount of time preparing food, and I concentrate, I can...infuse it with emotions and suggestions. Good...and bad...”

“ Is that why those people are after you?” Steve asked.

“I think so. I...I don’t really know. My Uncle told me that...there were people after me and my gift. So we had to keep moving around, and he did his best to...protect me. But I was so tired of him controlling me, telling me what I could and could not make, having me do special orders for him...I just wanted to be my own person, so I tried to cook a cake by myself. But I...didn’t protect myself well, and my magic got too...built up. It’s hard to explain. But I think I accidentally made myself a target and then those...monsters showed up.”

She shook her head. “ I just...I had been listening to my Uncle for so long. We didn’t really get along. It was...it was only supposed to be temporary anyways, until David got out of the military. But...” her voice trails off. 

“I’m sorry,” Sam said. “ I remember when I got the news. I was worried then what had happened to you.”

“ Afterwards, I just stayed with my Uncle. I didn’t have any other family.”

“ We’re landing in about ten minutes,” Natasha called out.

Allie looked up. “ Where are we going?” 

“ New York,” Sam said. “Tony has a friend down in the city that has some expertise with this sort of thing. We’ve called ahead for you to talk to him.”

Allie shifted in her seat. She had never talked to so many people about her ;life before. 

“ Is that okay?”

She nodded.

The trip to Greenwich Village was mesmerizing to Allie. She had never been to New York before, and couldn’t stop looking around. There were so many people, shopping places and restaurants she was interested in trying, and she struggled to make a mental note to remember to look up some places. What was the Blue Note Jazz Club? Was Bleecker Street Pizza any good? It was a small distraction from the nervousness growing in her stomach. She walked between Sam and Steve, Natasha having gone to deliver Tony his requested wings. Allie considered making him some wings of her own for what he had done for her before even meeting her.

“So this guy is supposed to be some wizard?” Sam asked, looking unconvinced.

“ According to Tony,” Steve responded. “ He said if she really did magic, he might be the best help with figuring stuff out.”

Before they could knock on the door, it was opened. A dark haired man gave them a stern look, before muttering, “ You’re late.”

Sam and Steve looked at each other. 

“Come in,” he said gruffly. 

The Sanctum Santorum wasn’t what Allie expected, but then again she didn’t really know what to expect. Her exposure to wizards had been vastly limited. She looked around, following the man who introduced himself as Dr Strange to his office. 

“ I will talk to her alone,” he said softly, closing the door on Sam and Steve.

Allie looked at him in surprise.

“ Sit,” he said softly. “ We have some things to discuss.”

Allie sunk into a chair across from him, trying to keep her hands from fidgeting. The office was large and beautifully arranged books reaching from floor to ceiling on most of the walls. 

“ Now, why don’t you tell me about yourself?” he said. 

She bit her lip. He was a lot more...wizardry than her uncle had ever been. The flowing cloak, the outfit, the gloves, everything. She shifted in her seat and began to relay what she had told Sam, about her life of moving around, about the restaurant being attacked and the monsters coming after her at the safehouse. 

“ That’s quite a story,” he said afterwards.

“ It’s all true,” she said gently, eyes darting around. She wanted to look everywhere else but at him. Why did she feel so exposed with him? She tried to sense the magic coming from him, but it was permeating beyond anything she could imagine. And it tasted like licorice.

“ I don’t know why they would want me. Someone who can just make you feel a little happy with a lemon cake. That’s when I can even control it.”

“ What can you tell me about your uncle?” he asked, standing up. He was going around the room as she talked, drifting from bookshelf to bookshelf. Allie followed him with her eyes as he went.

“ Well, he was a...difficult man. He did magic. I think he was a wizard, but never really confirmed it. The only time I saw him even do magic was when he had me make desserts, and that was because he was putting down the protection spells so my power didn’t leak all over the place.”  
“ And your parents?” he asked.

“ They died when I was younger,” she answered.

“ Did they have any magical powers?”

Allie shook her head. “ Not that I know of.”

“Mmmhmm” Dr Strange said, nodding. She wasn’t sure if it was at her or the book in his hand. He snapped it shut and drifted to another one. Allie noticed he was actually drifting, levitating several feet off the ground.

“ Do you know where he trained?” he asked. “ or anything about it?”

Allie shook her head.  
“ Oh wait, though,” she said, reaching into her bag. “ He did...um...he left me his bag. He had...some chalk, some stones, and a book in here, but I can’t read it.”

She brought out a black leather bound book and sat it on the table. Dr. Strange floated over, grabbing it, and thumbed through it. 

“ Mind if I keep this a bit?” he said. 

She shrugged. “ If you want.”

“I have to say, I find it troubling you don’t know more about yourself,” Dr. Strange said.  
“There seems to be a few gaps with things.”

“I told you, My uncle didn’t like me asking questions, and I couldn’t find a lot of answers myself, so I just...went along with things for a while. I tried to train myself, I did...I just...I’m kind of...” she looked down at her hands, frowning. Her uncle’s words echoed through her mind. “ Not good at a lot of things.”

“Sounds more like you are filled with a lot of self doubt,” he said flatly. “ from what you tell me, you can cook and put up a bit of a fight. But...” he looked at her, long and hard. “You lack confidence in your skill.”

Allie blinked. Was it that obvious?  
“You say you can infuse food with emotions and suggestions. What do you mean by suggestions?”

“Well, it wasn’t like an emotion. It was like a...a nudge into a certain direction. It didn’t always take, because it depends on the will and mood of the person. if there was a rowdy or drunk customer, a suggestion of sobriety could go a long way.” She looked down guiltily. “And. occasionally if there was a rather difficult customer that came in, I would...maybe put a swig of generosity into his sweet tea. I didn’t do it often, and it didn’t always take...a little charisma and confidence for someone on their way to a job interview... like I said, it didn’t always work, and I do it much because it felt so...”

“Manipulative?” Dr. Strange observed.

“ Yeah,” she agreed, nodding. 

“Anything else?”

She thought for a moment. “ Not...really? Sense other magic, I guess? Or taste it.”

“ Taste it?”  
She nodded. “ Certain magic has a kind of...flavor to it. It’s not like I taste it in my mouth but...in my mind. Like...um...well, for instance, yours tastes like...red licorice?”

“ Are you saying you perceive my magic as a Twizzler?” he said, a smirk playing on the edge of his lips. 

Allie couldn’t help but smile and nod. “ Yeah. But Twizzlers are good!”

“Nothing else?” he pressed.

Allie hesitated. “ Well, I mean, there were things I could do when I was younger, but I don’t really anymore. I just lost the ability to, really.”

“Like what?” he said.

“ Um...well, I think I used to be able to see auras? And...um...there was this thing I could do, where I could...well, it was silly.”

“ Try me.”  
“ I could guess what customers had a craving for,” she said. “ I did it a lot when I was a teenager. If a customer didn’t know what they wanted, I could kinda...read what they had a taste for, and make it for them. Uncle found out and told me to stop, so I just...let it go.”

He sunk in the chair across from her.

“ Tell me, would you care for some tea?”

She nodded. A tray appeared on the table between them, filled with numerous items including several different pots of tea, sugar, honey, spoons, and cups.

“ Oh, thank you,” she said, realizing how thirsty she really was. The tea smelled amazing, steeped and poured fresh. Allie’s fingers touch the bamboo handles on the tea pots. She eyed the golden yellow honey and crisp thin slices of lemon. 

“ What do you know about tea?” he asked.

“ Um...well...my favorite is white tea,” she said. “ Wait, no, I like green tea the most, but I try to drink more black tea in the morning, when I do drink any.” She made herself a cup. 

“Can I fix you a cup?” she asked softly.

“ Oh, please,” he said. 

“ What kind do you want?”

“What kind do you think I want?”

She looked at him, blinking. Confusion flooded her mind, before she nodded and began to work on a cup. 

“You like....this black tea. You want it with .... some lemon, and ...a little honey, and two cubes of sugar.” She started to mix it as she talked, stirring it carefully. She finished the cup and sat back, then frowned.

“ How did I know that?”

She looked up at Dr. Strange, who raised his eyebrows.

“ You never lost those skills, Allie,” he said. “ Your magic, your skill,it’s like a muscle. It has atrophied, but it’s not gone.”

“What do I do now?” she said. 

“ Well,” Dr. Strange said. “ I don’t know much about food based magic, but I’ll see what I can find out for you. Give me a few, and I’ll make you something that should help to keep those creatures off your trail. For now, I need to talk to Wilson and Rogers. Why don’t you help yourself to something in the kitchen?”

She frowned. “ Wait, but I”

Her sentence died on her lips as she found herself out in the hallway in front of the office, tea cup cradled in her hands. 

“ Fudge,” she muttered, and sipped at the tea in her hand.

She looked around. No one seemed to be around at the moment. She sighed and made her way to where she thought the kitchen may be.

It looked like the rest of the sanctum, all dark stone and wood, with a nice stove, sink, and fridge, as well as some other modern amenities. She explored, pulling out seasonings, and sandwich fixings. Maybe grilled sandwiches? She cooked some bacon, and pulled out some bread and butter. Lost in the process, she let her mind wonder. Where was she a little over 24 hours ago? In a hot tight kitchen down in Georgia, cooking and baking and being yelled at. Now here she was, in a large quiet kitchen, silently frying food. She wished so much for there to be a radio somewhere in here, just so that she wasn’t working in silence. She could tug her radio out of her backpack, but it didn’t feel right to do that here. 

Before she knew it, she had finished, making two grilled sandwiches with bacon, cheddar, ham and turkey. Just a little bit of mayo, with lettuce and tomato slices. She looked at the food. She hadn’t put anything in it as far as she could tell, maybe nothing but wisps of pensive thinking. Cleaning up her mess, she plated the sandwich like she had before so many times at the little cafes, triangularly cut and neatly displayed, and looked around. Well, nothing left to do but explore.  
Gingerly, she took a bit, picked up the plate, and went walking through the building. The sounds of voices reached her ears, and she turned to follow them. She walked down a hallway and out a side door, stepping into a courtyard filled with people who looked to be training. She stood on the side, watching a number of people sparring and swinging on each other. A few of them had golden arcs of light in between them, harsh sparks of magic flying through the air. Allie stood back against the wall, watching in awe.  
Is this what magic really looked like? She hadn’t seen much in her life, it always hung around her like a wispy veil of something. She only even realized it was all around her because of how much she lacked it now. 

Their magic, though...it was an interesting taste, all different but slightly similar. She couldn’t put her finger on it just yet. Must be a flavor she has yet to come across.  
She was so lost in thought she didn’t notice the staff that was flying through the air, heading straight for her, until the last minute.

Allie shrieked and tried to duck.

A red glow flooded her vision before she saw what was the source of it. A woman was standing nearby, her arms raised with churning ribbons of red light curled around her arms and fingers. The same light had twisted around the staff, stopping it in mid air.  
One of the others trainees in the courtyard ran up, catching the staff and muttering apologies about losing control of it.

“It’s okay, I’m fine” Allie said, though her heart was still racing, and her senses were flooded with a strong deep flavor of...something sweet. This woman’s powers stood out against the others with a force she hadn’t expected.

“ Are you okay?” The woman said, coming to stand over her. Still clutching her plate with nervous fingers, she looked up at her, dressed in a leather dress and a red leather jacket. She smiled as she walked towards her.

“You must be Allie,” she said. 

“ Uh, yeah.”

“I’m Wanda,” she said, extending her hand. Allie shook it and smiled.

“ Wait, how did you know?” she asked.

Wanda smiled. “ Steve and Sam told me before he whisked them off..” She said, nodding up towards a window higher on the building. Allie assumed that was Strange’s office.

“ Hey,” a man called out. “ If you aren’t training, get out of the courtyard.”

Wanda and Allie looked at each other and laughed.

“ Come on, let’s talk inside.”

************

“ So...how long have you lived here?” Allie said. They had retreated to the safety of the kitchen. Allie had offered her the second sandwich, and Wanda took it graciously.

Wanda gave a soft laugh. “ Oh, no, I don’t leave here. I live at the Avenger’s Compound. I come here to train under Dr. Strange a couple of times a week. He is helping me learn more about my powers.”

“ That’s amazing,” she said. “ Though from the way you caught that staff, you look like you are already really good.”

Wanda smiled and swallowed a bite.

“ I have a long way to go, trust me,” she said. “ But I’ve practiced a lot. What about you? Food based, right?”

She paused to look down at the sandwich. “ Did you do something to make this sandwich extra good?”

Allie’s eyes grew wide, and she hid a snicker.

“Oh, no, I didn’t put anything in this, I promise!” she said. “ I concentrated hard to try and not let my magic leak. It’s...it’s hard to blank my mind, and I normally have music to help me do it while I cook.”

She paused to take a bite.

“ Mostly I can just mix food with some emotions or ideas. It’s...it’s not that amazing, but it can be fun. Relaxing teas, comforting coffees, peaceful meringue pies, excitable cupcakes. I’m still...not sure how to control it completely, and it can get out of hand, though.”

She shoved her sandwich in her mouth to stop from talking. She was rambling, like she often did when she had been feeling lonely and wanting to open up to someone. Reel it back, she thought to herself. You are weird enough without scaring away this woman who has just started talking to you. She was so busy concentrating on keeping her cool, she didn’t notice the smirk playing on the edge of Wanda’s mouth as she caught some of what she was thinking. 

She was so nice and really reminded her of something sweet, but also something tart. Not bad tart, just like...strong. What is this flavor, Allie was thinking hard. What is it? It’s right on the tip of my tongue. 

Is it?

Wait...

CHERRIES. SHE TASTES LIKE CHERRIES the thought exploded in her mind.  
Wanda, mid drink of her Sprite, almost did a spit take as she covered her mouth in laughter.

Allie looked at her, confused.

“ What are you screaming about cherries?” said Steve’s voice as he, Sam and Dr. Strange walk into the room.

“What? I...wait, I didn’t say anything, did i?” she said, looking from Wanda to Steve. 

Wanda, reaching for a napkin, shook her head before saying, “ You didn’t say it out loud.”

Stephen sighed. “ Looks like it’s happening faster than I thought,” he muttered.

“ What is?”

“ I think that, whatever your Uncle was doing was not only cloaking your power but suppressing your skill. There is a chance that your power could start coming to the surface in sudden and unpredictable ways. Such as...spontaneously broadcasting your thoughts.”

Allie’s eyes went wide. 

“ Wait, what does that have to do with food?” she said, standing up straight.

“ I’m not altogether sure, but I plan for us to figure it out. You can stay here for now. I’m sure we can find you a nice room and set you up in.”

“Wait, but...I thought...”

“ The Sanctuary may be the best place for you. Now where are your bags?”

“I don’t...have anything else,” she said. “ Other than my backpack over there. The rest...I lost everything else in the fire.”

The room was silent for a moment. Allie was beyond thankful for the help, but couldn’t help but feel her heart sink slightly at the thought of staying at the sanctum. It was a learning opportunity, after all. She couldn’t turn that away. If it was best for her, then...

“ Doctor Strange, what if she came to live at the compound?”

Everyone looked at Wanda.

“ There are more than enough of us there to look after her, and I could help her in the kitchen whenever necessary. Didn’t you say you were having to leave town in a few weeks anyways?”

Strange hesitated. “ Well...that is true.”

Wanda looked to Steve and Sam, looking for backup.

“ The compound is already heavily secured,” he said. “ And out in the country.”

“ I don’t want to be an inconvenience to anyone,” Allie piped up.  
“I’m sure it would be fine,” Steve said. “ We can at least start from here and figure out what’s the best option if it doesn't work out.”

“But it will,” Wanda said, looking at Allie. “ Okay?”

She nodded softly. 

“ Well, in that case,” Strange said, walking towards her, moving his hand through the air. 

He opened his palm, revealing a chainmail bracelet with several stones set in it. Allie automatically extended her wrist and he fastened it on her.

“ This should protect you from them tracking your powers. I have no idea who or what we are dealing with, but in any case, this bracelet will emit a dampening field to help suppress the emission of your power. It doesn’t affect your gifts themselves, however. I want you to keep track of your powers, any time you use them, any new ones that develop, everything. The more information we know, the better.”

Allie smiled, feeling the item on her wrist. It was actually rather lighter than she thought it should be.

“ Thank you for all of this, Dr. Strange. I owe you a good meal.”

“A rain check, perhaps,” he said softly. “Honestly, your issue is a mystery I am honestly curious about. In that case, I think we are done with our business for today.”

“ Oh wait,” Allie said, running to her bag. “ Um...I don’t know if this will help at all with the search but...well...” She pulled the blood crusted knife out of her bag, it still wrapped loosely in her torn shirt. 

“ I know blood is good for magic, I think. Could this help?”

“Uh, possibly,” Strange said. She folded it back up and handed it to him.

“ Why in the world did you keep this knife?”

“Cause I...well...I have to keep the set together,” she said softly. Allie was slowly starting to feel like a number of things that were normal to her weren’t actually what people generally did. 

“ Shall we head home?” Wanda said.


	4. Lemon Garlic Chicken and an Offer

“ This is my brother,” Allie said, handing the photograph to Wanda.

They were both in the back of the car, riding up to the compound. Steve and Sam were in the front, going back and forth about which album from the 70s was the best to listen to post-mission.

Wanda took the photograph. It showed several men in military uniform, looking up and smiling broadly at the camera. Two black men in the photograph had their arms looped around each other’s shoulders. 

“ Is that Sam?” she asked, tapping a finger on the man on the left side.

“Yeah, they were in the military together. It’s how I met Sam.”

“They look alike,” she said.

Allie laughed. “ Yeah, people used to say they looked like cousins, if not brothers.”

“ What...happened to him?” Wanda asked softly.

The smile fell from Allie’s lips.

“ He had...died overseas on his last tour. I never found out what exactly happened, though. He was supposed to come back and get me, but...” the tears were starting up. Wow, she hadn’t cried about him in so long.

“I lost my brother, too,” Wanda said. “ It still hurts every time I think about him, so I understand.”

Allie gave her a soft smile as Wanda handed her back the photograph. “He had told me if something really bad ever happened, I should contact Sam with the number on this card and so I did. Honestly, I never expected him to pick up. But I am glad that he did.”

Wanda grabbed her hand in a reassuring matter.

“Thank you for suggesting I come live with you guys,” Allie said.

“I think you are going to like it, honestly,” Wanda said. “ It’s a bit hectic at times, but I think you will like it a lot more than Bleecker Street. I got some clothes you can borrow until we get you some more.”

Allie smirked. “ Uh, no offense, but I don’t think I can fit anything you own.” Allie had no illusions of her size. 

“ We can find you something,” Sam called back. 

“ Here we are,” Steve said as the buildings came into view. Allie found herself amazed at the structure. Steve gave her a brief explanation as they got out of the car and entered the main building.

“ The west wing is still being rebuilt but most of it is back to normal,” he said. Allie nodded, briefly, seeing a collection of equipment off to the side. 

After being taken through security protocols, Wanda led Allie to what would be her room.

“ I’m right down the hallway, in case you need anything,” she said, pointing towards the left. 

Allie nodded. Wanda turned to leave when Allie spoke up.

“Wanda,” she said softly. “ Can I ask you something?”

“Hmm?”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” 

Wanda paused. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Allie said, trying to not let her voice break. “ You spoke up for me coming here. You’ve been...so nice and you don’t even know me. It’s just...not something I understand.”

Wanda turned to her. “ Because you are a good person, Allie, and you are just in need of some help. I know what it’s like to ...be alone and needing a friend, you know?”

Allie frowned and nodded.

“ Now...can I ask you something?” Wanda retorted.

Allie tilted her head. “ Uh...what does cherries mean?”

Allie looked down at her feet, trying to hide a nervous smile.

“ It’s...it’s what your magic tastes like to me. How my brain interprets it. Like cherries. I hadn’t meant to be so...excitable about it.”

Wanda was still laughing warmly when Sam walked in, carrying some shirts and sweatpants. Wanda dismissed herself, leaving them alone. 

“ Sound like you are starting to settle in,” he remarked.” I brought you some of my clothes until we can get you something else. Hope you don’t mind.”

She shook her head, taking them from him. “ Not at all! I am grateful, trust me. I just... don't know how to repay you for all of this. I...I’m sorry...” The tears were coming faster than she could stop them.

“ Hey now,” Sam said, sitting her down on the bed.

“ I’m sorry about this,” Allie said.

Sam sighed. “ Look...ages ago, David and I had a talk, and I promised him that if you ever called me, I’d help you. And I’m going to help you as best as I can, okay?”

She nodded. “ Okay.”

“ Now, the rest of the team are out on a mission right now, but when they get back, I’ll introduce you after our debriefing. We can all sit down and have a talk. For now, why don’t you get some real sleep in an actual bed, okay?”

Allie hugged him tightly, and struggled to not get tears into his shirt.

“ Thank you,” she whispered to him before he left.

Allie looked around the room. It held a double bed, two lamps with two two side tables, a dresser, a desk and chair, and a rather large TV on the wall. At the foot of the bed was a small loveseat facing the television. It was actually a really nice room.  
She went to explore the bathroom, hoping for a shower. Tugging her curls back in a loose ponytail and under a cap, she stepped into the hot water and sighed happily in the running water. The shower had a bench seat and a removable wand. Oh, yes, this was lovely.  
She examined herself, eying the cut on her leg. It looked like it was healing well. She didn’t know how many bruises were on her body, but she knew she was soon going to feel each and every one of them. Redressing the wound was all the energy she had left before she gave up to sleep. The bed called for her afterward, and she had no problem sliding under the covers.

She dreamed of an orange and yellow street food restaurant, her fingers moving quickly over a hot griddle as she turned skewered fish and fried vegetables. It was late at night, and the street was filled with hungry people. They shuffled past, making their way to wherever the night would carry them. Some were headed to the harbor and some were traveling back into the city. She didn’t care. Her place was here, fingers sometimes scorched but never burned, apron splattered but never too messy. She worked with diligence and quickness. A fan in the corner did it’s best to make the heat more bearable as it clattered back and forth in its little rotation. The radio was just changing songs when she woke up, disappointment riding her into wakefulness. It was one of her favorites, too.

Allie sat up, the dream melting from her mind. Oh, it had been that one again. The street food vendor. It was a cozy one, to be sure, and one she hadn’t had too frequently. She shuffled to her feet, pulling on her shirt. She could still smell the roasting meat in her memory and felt her stomach shift with hunger. Oh, why did she have to dream about such delicious food when she was so hungry?

She picked up her phone. No missed calls, not that she really had anyone to ever call or message her. Any friends she had made while moving around always did eventually drop off the map on her. 

She opened the screen and went to her contacts. Her fingers hovered over her Uncle’s number. 

Should she call it? 

What could it hurt?

She pressed the call icon and put the phone to her ear. 

No answer. 

She wanted to be greeted by an automated voicemail to maybe leave a message but was quickly informed that the voice mailbox was full. 

She set the phone down, feeling a mixture of emotions. Why hadn’t he told her more? Told her more than to just, not do anything. Why not actually instruct her better? Hell, why didn’t he give her someone to contact in case something went wrong?

Allie looked up Sam’s number.

**Just woke up. Can I go into the kitchen? Have you eaten yet?**

She knew the answer, but anxiety pushed her to still ask.  
His response came back with a little chime.

**Go ahead. We are in a debriefing. The team just got back. Should be about 2 hours. We can discuss dinner afterward.**

Allie opened her door and crept down the hallway. This place was...huge.   
She made her way to where she thought the kitchen was located, up a floor from the rooms, and found it empty. She looked in the fridge and the cabinets. The cabinets were decently stocked. There were a few items labeled in the fridge, including 2 packs of chicken meat with a sticker saying “It’s someone else’s turn to cook tonight!” on top of it. She blinked in surprise seeing all the names of the Avengers on various items in the fridge, most of it being leftover takeout containers. “Stark” was scribbled in marker on a closed lid plastic cup that held something green.

She was really in the Avenger’s compound, where real-life superheroes lived and operated, working on real-life superhero shit. Where would her craziness rank on that scale? Could Sam get into trouble for bringing her there?

There were more than enough ingredients here for cooking a meal, Allie realized. Some chicken in the fridge, some vegetables, and fruit in a basket on the counter. The seasoning cabinet was nice. There was some rice in one of the plastic containers. She stood puzzled, wondering if she should do what her instincts told her to try, and just make a meal for everyone. She had no problem cooking big meals at all, but would it be too...forward of her to cook like that in someone else’s kitchen? Well, they had invited her over and done so much for her. The least she could do is cook them a meal.   
She could even use some of her magic to urge them to let her stay...

No, she decided. If she was going to cook to impress them, it wouldn’t be with her magic. It would be with her barebones skill alone. She opened her music player on her phone and rested it on the counter. Tightening her ponytail, she got to work. 

Lemon garlic chicken, she thought, with some vegetables and rice. She opened the cabinets, pulled out her supplies, and turned on the oven to preheat. She had a recipe in mind, and it was rather easy. 

She tried to push all of her emotions away, but it was like holding back a tidal way of nervousness and excitement. No, she thought, shaking her head. Instead, she sunk herself into the music, letting any thoughts and emotions roll away from her as she moved around the kitchen. 

She was slower than she wanted to be, not knowing where nearly anything was located. This place needed a better pantry, she thought to herself. Oh, a walk-in pantry. She always wanted one of those. 

It wasn’t long before Allie ran into a few issues of her own creation. She had pulled all the seasonings she needed out the cabinet, right? She needed the lemon pepper and salt, but couldn’t find them anywhere. Where were they? She had just sat them down on the counter? And now the garlic powder? What the hell? She looked around and then looked up. The three missing seasonings were floating in the air, just within reach of her. She gasped, and the shakers lost their power and dropped to the ground. She managed to catch two, but the lemon pepper hit her with a soft smack in the forehead. 

“Ow,” she said, picking it up.

Well, that was going to be less than helpful. Okay, another magical thing: spices she could make spices float? She sighed. That was just...whatever. She’d deal with it later.   
She mixed the lemon pepper seasoning and flour in a bowl, rubbed it on the chicken thigh meat, and browned them in a skillet. She flipped it over, adding more seasoning, and continued to cook. Cooking in this kitchen felt...better to her. Warmer in a way, but still really foreign to her senses. She lined a baking sheet. The chicken was squeezed on the pan and pushed into the oven.

Now, for the sauce. She fussed at herself for not making sure they had everything that she would need for that. No parmesan. Damn. Wait, but there was some mozzarella. Oh, that was a blessing. Heavy cream? Yes. Garlic and some chicken stock in the kitchen. Okay, yes, she could make this work. No green onions, though. How could they not have green onions? She cooked down the sauce, stirring diligently. 

There was a rice cooker under one of the counters. She pulled it out and put it to work. She sliced the lemons and a few oranges. Enough to make a nice pitcher of orange lemonade, and the lemon slices would be added to the chicken. She looked at the time as she pulled the chicken from the oven. She was supposed to move the chicken back into the sauce, but there was more chicken than could fit in the skillet. Instead, she moved the chicken into a deeper dish and decided to just pour the sauce over them, then added the slices of lemon. She glanced at the clock again. Shit. They should be finished with their meeting soon. Okay, the chicken was done and the rice cooker had just beeped.

Oh no, she almost forgot the vegetables! There was a bag of a medley mix in the freezer. She took them out, dumping them in a colander and letting them thaw under running water. She cleaned the skillet and set it on the stove, warming it up before putting some olive oil at the bottom. She dumped the vegetables in, sprinkled some seasoning, and had the stove on low, warming them up. She sat a lid top on them and removed them from the hot eye. Now, dinner was done. 

She tugged out plates from the cabinets and some serving spoons and made some hot soapy water to dunk her used dishes in. Clean up as you go, she thought to herself.   
The song on her phone lowered for a moment as a chime rang out.  
She dried her hands and picked it up.

**Hey, debriefing is done. Where are you?**

She typed back quickly. 

**In the kitchen**

She hadn’t made any cornbread, but they didn’t even have cornmeal in the kitchen. She made a mental checklist of all the things the kitchen needed. Oh, how could she have forgotten a desert? No, no, she thought to herself. This is fine, this was fine. Dammit, did she rinse the rice before putting it in the rice cooker? Ugh, she was so annoyed at herself. 

Wait, the lemonade. She hadn’t finished it. She stirred in the sugar, pouring directly from the bag, but only paused as the bag emptied faster than she thought. 

There wasn’t enough sugar. 

Oh no. It would be as bitter as hell. She stirred in more water, trying to think of what to do. She tasted it and frowned. It was barely lemon water. She stirred again. Dammit, all she needed was a little more sugar. She knew exactly what she was trying to make. A sweet light lemonade with a hint of orange in it. There had to be sugar somewhere...

She felt it before she realized what had occurred. Her magic leaked down into the lemonade, and she stirred it in without hesitation. She tasted it again.

It was as sweet as she wanted, light and citrusy. 

The sound of footsteps made her glance up.

“ What smells so good?” a voice said.

“ I dunno, but I’m so hungry right now,” another said. 

“ Did someone order out?”

Allie stood in front of the counter, a small smile on her face.  
“ I made dinner,” she said to the growing crowd as they entered the room. “ I mean, I figured, with that chicken in there, you wouldn’t mind. Lemon garlic chicken, rice, and roasted vegetables. And some orange lemonade. I hope it is enough,” she said softly.

Everyone stood stunned. Natasha, Sam, Steve, and Wanda were in the front, with whom she recognized as Tony Stark, Clint, and Rhodes behind them. 

“ You think it’s safe?” Rhodey said in a loud whisper.

“ Should be,” Sam replied.

“I’m too hungry to care,” Clint said, pushing past them and going into the kitchen. 

He greeted her with a soft “ Allie, is it? Nice to meet you. I’m Clint. This smells so good.”

“Help yourself,” she said softly. 

Allie was sitting between Sam and Wanda, enjoying the meal, as the others sang praises for her cooking. 

“ This is magnificent,” Rhodey said.

“ I knew you could cook, but damn,” Sam said.

“ And this is without your powers?” Natasha said. 

She nodded, then said, “ Well, except for the lemonade. It was too bitter, but I ran out of sugar. So I just kinda...stirred it, and...it became sweet.”

Tony looked down at his cup. “ Are you saying that you made this sweet just by stirring it more?”

“Taste fine to me,” Clint said, draining his cup. From what she had been told, their mission had had Clint pinned down for nearly seven hours. On top of that, he had been taken right to the meeting afterward and was now ravenous. 

“ I thought all you could do was put emotions into food?” Sam said.

“ I guess not?” Allie replied, picking at her vegetables. “ I’m not sure exactly all I can do just yet. I was able to guess how Dr. Strange liked his tea in his office. So...I can read what people are craving. I can...adjust food somehow? Oh, and...earlier while I was cooking, a few of the spices were levitating.” She touched the spot on her forehead where she’d been hit.

Wanda frowned. “ Your power is all over the place,” she said. 

“ Well since we are all here,” Tony started. “ We may as well talk about it.”  
Allie looked up. 

“ Allie,” Tony said. “ Sam told us you are in some weird trouble. Now generally we don’t just give asylum to anyone, but due to other circumstances beyond my control...” He gave a hard look at Steve.   
“And me being overruled over another matter, at this point, I was ready to say no. But after eating this delicious food and meeting you, I can tell you right now I just don’t think I can say no to that face.”

He looked at Rhodes. “ Can you say no to that face?” He said, indicating Allie.

“Well, actually” he started, but Tony cut him off. 

“ Tell you what,” Tony said. “ We had already discussed you staying here while Strange figures out whatever the hell is going on, but I have an idea. You work for us. Cook for us once in a while, and I’ll even pay you. Considered it like a...paid internship. What do you say?”

Allie nearly dropped her fork. “ Wait, really? I mean...I am good, but there is a lot I still don’t know...”

“Tony,” Rhodes started, “are you sure that’s such a good idea? I mean, no offense, but didn’t you say she could manipulate feelings into food? I don’t want to take a bite of a pancake and be pissed off the rest of the day.”

“ Nah, let’s give the kid a chance,” Tony said. “ Since we are in the mood for giving people chances, right Steve?”

Allie frowned, looking at Steve, who was stabbing at his chicken rather aggressively.

“ Right” he answered curtly. Natasha cut her eyes at Tony but didn’t say anything. 

“Look how she showed initiative making us this meal,” Tony continued. “She obviously has skill.”

“ I’ve never been...professionally trained. Some things I’m still confused about,” Allie protested softly.

“That’s fine,” Tony continued “ That’s what the internet is for. Look, I think everyone would agree that as often as we are out fighting and kicking ass all the time the last thing we want to do when we come back is cook dinner.”

“That’s true,” Rhodey agreed.

“ We can work it around a schedule for you and everything. And if you don’t like it, you don’t have to keep doing it.”

Allie blinked and looked over at Sam.

“ It’s up to you,” he said.

Allie looked back at Tony.

“ I’d need to know what people like. And if there were any allergies or anything.”

“We can give you whatever you need,” Tony said. 

It was more than she could have hoped for. Being allowed to stay was one thing, but being hired as a personal cook for them...

Allie nodded. “ Okay. I can give it a try.”

“ Alright then,” Tony said. “ It’s settled. Looks like we are at least getting one person that’s actually useful to join us.”

Allie looked back at her plate, confused. She knew the hostility in his voice wasn’t aimed at her, but she was still confused. 

Afterward, as she worked to clean up in the kitchen, Steve and Wanda entered, clearing the table.

“ Oh I can get those,” she said softly.

“ Allie, it’s fine,” Wanda said. “ You’ve been cooking all evening. The least we can do and help clean up.”

Allie started to protest when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Sam.  
“ Can we talk a moment?”

She followed him over to one of the alcoves of chairs and couches. Everyone else had departed for the evening, either to the entertainment room or elsewhere. Banner had gone straight to the lab to work, so Natasha took him a plate of food to make sure he ate something. Tony had disappeared right into his office. 

Allie sat across from Sam, her anxiety rising. 

“ Did I do something wrong?” she blurted out. 

“ What? No, no, not that.” Sam said. He sensed there was something there that would bring forth that response. Something to address at another time.

“ It’s just...I wanted to talk to you. You don’t have to take the job if you don’t want to, okay? I know that’s...something your Uncle has always made you kinda do, and you don’t have to do that here. We will protect you no matter what.”

“No, I want to try it, I do.”

“ Alright. The other thing is...” he hesitated. “How are you holding up?”

Allie looked at him with wide eyes. How was she holding up? She was completely terrified on the inside, she was annoyed at her Uncle, but also missing him and feeling guilty for his death, she was scared of where she was now, of this unknown place and unknown people. But mostly...she was scared of herself. Any time she had tried to think back to baking that cake in the kitchen, all she could think was how quickly she had lost control. What would happen if she did it again if she did it here? What if she made something so volatile it made one of them sick? What if....what if...

She gave Sam a soft smile. “ I’m fine,” she said. “ A little tired, and a little sad, but honestly I’m fine.”

He stared at her for a moment, as though trying to decide if he believed her. “ Alright, then. Just if you ever need to talk, I’m right here.”

She nodded.

“ Uh, I do have one question, though,” she said. “ What was...the tension at dinner tonight? Is Tony mad at Steve?”

Sam looked down. “Uh, yeah, about that. Steve has an old friend that is coming to join the team. Bucky Barnes. He had been living in Wakanda, getting help for some evil Hydra programming shit that was in his head. After how he helped us against Thanos years ago, Steve insisted that he be allowed to join the Avengers. Everyone voted on it, and Tony was overruled on the issue. “

Allie tilted her head. “ Why is Tony upset, though?”

“ Steve’s friend. While he was under Hydra’s control, he had murdered a lot of people. That included Tony’s parents.”

Allie sat back. “ Oh.”

“Yeah, so...I’m sorry to say but things will probably get a little...tense around here for a bit in a few weeks. ”

She shook her head. “ No, I understand.” 

“ But hey, you’ll get to meet Vision! He’s...kinda fun.”

Allie and Sam laughed. 

“ Are you done yet?” Clint called from the next room. “ It’s your turn, Sam! Allie, do you wanna play?”

Allie tilted her head. “ Wanna play what?”

“ We have this tradition of video games after every mission,” Sam said. “To help wind down. Thor actually started it last time he came to visit. I think tonight it’s Mario Kart.” 

They both stood up.

“ Um...I wouldn’t mind just watching.”

Sam rubbed his hands together. “ Good, because you’re about to see me make Captain America cry.”

“ I heard that!” Steve’s voice echoed down the hall.

“ He’s always talking shit until he falls off that rainbow bridge!” Sam called out.

Allie grinned, walking into the room.


	5. Frito Pies and New Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay back to back updates!

It didn’t take long for the nightmares to start. Sometimes she was running from the monster and couldn’t reach the car in time. Sometimes she was trapped in the basement. Sometimes, she couldn’t leave her old bedroom, but she heard her uncle screaming in pain. That was the worse one. He would scream and cry and she couldn’t get the door open, and if she did, descending the stairs was like walking through molasses, and when she reached the bottom, there was nothing but darkness and destruction.

Allie woke up with a sob still caught in her throat. She looked over to the clock on her nightstand. 3:47 am flashed at her with an annoyingly bright crimson light. The fear in her chest was slow to dissolve away.  
She wiped at the tears still on her cheeks and tried to calm her breathing. A dreamless tea or something would have to be in her future. For now, though, she didn’t want to sleep anymore. She reached for the computer tablet on her nightstand and sat up. She may as well do some work.

Having been given a company tablet, Allie had spent a few weeks trying to get used to it. Tony at least gave her that long before he started to send her emails and messages about everyone’s schedule and dietary needs. When he started to ask her about the best appliances for the kitchen, however, she really started to get a little lost. She had to admit to him she wasn’t sure what would be best, but would do some research. He instructed her on how to just use FRIDAY to help herself out with it.

“ Uh...FRIDAY?” she started.

“ Yes, Allie” the AI responded. “ How may I help you?”

“Um...okay...” she pulled up her last search list. “ What is the least expensive fridge on the list? I don’t want to break Tony’s bank account...”

“Would you like me to show you the budget that Mr. Stark has allotted you?” she offered.

“Uh...sure?” she said.

The number flashed on the tablet. Allie nearly dropped the device. 

“ What? Are you sure that is the budget?” she said louder than she meant.

There was a knock on the door. Allie looked at the time. It was 7:30 in the morning.

“Come in,” Allie said, tossing the tablet on the bed.

Wanda peeked her head in, looking around. “ Hey, you okay?”

Allie waved towards the tablet. “ Just..trying to get this stuff ordered. I honestly have never been put in charge of something like this before, but...I at least found a stove?”

Wanda sat on the bed next to her. “ How about...we look for something other than appliances?” Wanda said.

“ Like what?”

“ Like those clothes that you said you wanted?” 

Allie looked away nervously. She couldn’t deny that she really was tired of wearing sweats and borrowed shirts. 

“ I hate clothes shopping. Even online,” she admitted. “ I mean, it wasn’t too hard to find some decent bras and underwear sets, but everyday clothes? I don’t know. I mean...I think I got a good variety in my cart? I’m so indecisive about what to keep, though.”  
.  
“ Want me to help you?” Wanda asked.

“ Uh, okay,” she said. “ If you want.”

Her first paycheck from Tony had already been given to her, and she had nearly fallen over from the amount of money. She was going to have a heart attack from the numbers with a trail of zeroes she kept coming across around the place.

“ Wait,” she said. “But don’t you have a mission coming up?”

“ We got a few hours before take-off,” Wanda said, sitting next to her. 

Allie pulled up the list of clothing she had been going through. It was frustrating to a point constantly finding something cute only to see it wasn’t carried in her size, but Wanda didn’t seem to pass any judgment on her for it. After a while, she had a decently sized haul, including ten dresses, in her cart. 

“ Oh and this looks cute,” Wanda said, clicking on a black and red lingerie set. Allie smiled nervously.

“ I had just put that in there to see it a bit closer,” she said without thinking. “ I wasn’t going to buy it or anything.”

Wanda raised her eyebrows. “ Do you want it? Then buy it!”

Allie bit her lip and added it to her cart.

“Hell, I may buy myself a set of lingerie for when Vis comes back,” she added. 

They giggled.

“ When is that supposed to be?” Allie questioned. She had heard a bit about the synthetic humanoid from Wanda, including his attempt once to make her paprikash.

“ They are still running some tests in Wakanda,” Wanda said. “ But it should be soon. We just don’t know how everything is going to work with the mind stone removed. So far, he still sounds like himself, but...” Her voice trailed off, worry showing on her face. 

Wanda’s phone rang. She lifted it to her ear. 

“ Alright, on my way,” she said and hung up.

“ We’ll be back in a few days,” she said. “ Oh, did Sam tell you that Thor should be coming back?”

“He mentioned it,” Allie responded. “but said he wasn’t sure when he was supposed to come in.”

“Just...keep an eye out for him. He’s...still been a bit depressed on and off lately.” She gave her a soft hug. “ And get some sleep,” she whispered to her. 

Allie nodded as she left.

The next few days were quiet around the place. Most of the team was gone on the mission, with Tony and Bruce down in the lab almost all the time. Allie would make them lunch and small dinners, delivering them to the lab for them. Oftentimes she was waved in and just told to leave it on the table as they talked back and forth about this experiment or that formula. 

She eventually finished the order list, and the kitchen was already underway with new construction. Tony had figured with the rest of the compound already being worked on, they as well do the kitchen too. It was going to be about a week or so, which meant take out was on the menu.

Allie had just grabbed some Chinese food from downstairs, having just woken up from a hard nap, and was heading into the media room when she saw a figure sitting there, leaning over in one of the plush chairs. 

She ran forward, worried that it was someone injured.

“Are you okay?” she said. She set her food down and reached forward, touching their back.

A spark hit her fingertips. Allie jumped back, making a small noise of surprise. She tried to flex her hand. It was slightly numb.

The figure sat up, turning to look at her.

“ Oh, forgive me, my lady. I didn't mean to harm you.”

The man stood up. He was a large figure, with long messy dirty blonde hair, some of it dreaded up, and a bushy beard with several braids in it. He was dressed in some baggy pajamas, holding a beer in one hand. It took Allie a moment to recognize him.

“ Thor?” she said. “ Right? Sorry, I didn’t know you had arrived already.”

“Oh, uh...yes, you must be the new girl. Allie, right? I had just gotten her only a few hours ago.” he said. He smiled at her, then looked around the room. Her eyes traveled around the room, noticing the collection of beer bottles on the table.

“ Sorry, I was just...uh...” he tried to gather them all up.

“ It’s okay,” she said. “ Let me help you.”

Together, they got the table cleared and the trash thrown away. She looked at the screen. “ Were you about to play a video game?”

“Oh, uh, yes, actually. Why, did you want to play?”

She shook her head. “ No, but is it okay if I watch?” 

“ You just want to...watch?”

She nodded. “ I’ll share my Chinese food with you? They gave me a double order of fried rice anyways, so I won’t be able to finish it all.”

She gave him an earnest smile. This man did not look like he did well being alone, she thought to her. He smiled at her.

“ You know what?” he said. “ I would like that very much.”

Thor was staying at the compound for a few weeks, on break from traveling with the Guardians of the Galaxy.

“ Quill gets so touchy, thinking I’m trying to usurp him as captain of his ship.” Thor rattled on. He was animated as he talked, clicking away at the controller. “Even though, by the way, I am a better leader than him. After all, which one of us two has actually been a king? Just saying, it wasn’t him.”

Allie laughed. “ Okay, but...isn’t it still his ship?”

Thor paused the game to eat a mouthful of food and chewed thoughtfully.

“ I suppose it is,” he said. 

“ And....aren’t you a guest on his ship?” she continued.

“ Well, yes, but -”

“And do you think that you trying to take control of the ship is perhaps you trying to find control in your own life?”

He looked at her with narrowed eyes.

“ I cannot tell if you are annoyingly perceptive or not,” he said. 

“ I also could just be projecting,” she said with a smirk, tucking her legs under her on the couch.

He gave a laugh, deep and full. 

“ You are very funny, Lady Allie,” he said. 

“ It’s so odd to hear you say Lady Allie,” she said. “ Lady would probably sound better with my full first name.”

“ What is your full first name?” he asked.

“ Althaea,” she said.

“ Lady Althaea,” he said, letting it roll around on his tongue. “ I do like the sound of that.”

“Now you have learned a secret about me,” she said. “ I don’t often tell people my real full name. Even those close to me.”

Thor leaned towards her. “ I shall cherish it.” He said softly.

Allie laughed. “ You can make the most boring thing sound regal,” she said. 

He picked up the controller, going back into the video game. She watched him intently, jumping slightly when she thought he was in danger during a hard boss fight and laughing if his character managed to die from a swarm of angered birds.

“ I like this,” Thor said afterward.

“ We can make a thing of it,” Allie offered.

They began to meet in the entertainment room late in the evening, Allie arranging food for them as Thor played through a number of different games. Sometimes, if they wanted to watch a movie afterwards, Allie would bring in a collection of bedding and they crashed on the couches. Occasionally she tasted a few of the beers that Thor brought but found that it wasn’t much to her liking. She tried to manipulate the taste, but it seemed rather resistant to her meddling.

On the last evening, before the others were due back from their mission, Allie made them a quick dinner and hurried into the room, carrying two bowls of food.

“What is this?” Thor asked, looking at the creation. It was still steaming hot, large chunks of cheese melting into thick hot chili. 

“ It’s called a Frito pie,” Allie said. “ My brother used to make them for me.”

“It doesn’t look like a pie,” he said, lifting his folk. “ More like...Frito chips, chili, and cheese.”

“Exactly,” she said. “ Though I managed to season the canned chili a little bit to make it a bit more flavorful. The kitchen is almost done, so I was able to get at the microwave to heat it up”

She mixed hers up, crunching the chips under her chili. 

Thor took a few bites and looked at her nodding.

“ It actually is quite good.”

She smiled at him. “See? Next time I’ll make you some fancier kind, with onions and peppers, if you want.”

“You can,” he said. “ But I don’t mind something just simple like this.”

She gave him a soft smile, folding her legs under her as she sat next to him.

“ So you mentioned eating this with your brother?” he said. “ What’s he like?”

“ He was in the military,” she said. “ He died overseas. He...he used to make these for us to eat some nights. He’d take the little bag of Fritos and pour the chili right into the bag and add cheese, and we’d just munch on them, play games or watch scary movies or something. He’d even watch cartoons with me.”

She blinked back tears at the memory.

“Oh, I am sorry, Allie,” Thor said quickly. “ I didn't mean to bring up painful memories for you.”  
She shook her head. “ It’s okay, you didn’t do it on purpose. It was just a question.” She looked at him, touching his hand, and met his soft eyes.

“ I still think it’s so cool you have heterochromia,” she said softly. “ I mean, the circumstances of how you got it were really messed up, but your eyes are beautiful.”

Thor gave a small laugh. “ I’m glad you think so.”

Allie took another bite of her food. 

“I’ve told you about my brother before, right?” Thor said. 

“ Loki, right?” Allie said. “ The one who...did all that stuff in New York?”

Thor gave a grim nod. “ Yeah.”

Allie nodded. “Only a little. What was he like?”

He looked at her, confused.

“I assumed he wasn’t always so...uh, homicidal?”

“He wasn’t,” Thor said. “ He was...he was smart, and clever, and could be such a pain in the ass, but...I did love him so much. We just...drifted in different directions, and I didn’t know how to reach him anymore. And by the time we did start to reconcile...”

Allie leaned back on the couch next to him. 

“ You’ve...lost a lot,” Allie muttered.

Thor nodded. “ My mother, my father, had to kill my sister, then my best friend died, half of my...people...my brother...”

He sat back on the couch as though the weight of the world had come crashing down on him. “ You know, I thought...once we defeated Thanos, and secured the stones, saved the universe...that I would feel better, that I would be able to keep going. But...it got harder and harder to just keep going...to face the world...to face my own people...”

A tear rolled down his face, lost in his beard. Allie stared at the man. His sadness was almost palpable. Wanda had been right.

He sat up, shaking his head. “ I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m just saying this all to you. You barely know me...I just feel like...”

“I’m easy to talk to?” she said softly.

“Yeah,” he said. “ Yeah, you are.”

Allie shrugged, sitting her bowl down. “ It’s okay. I find you easy to talk to as well.”

She leaned over and hugged him, wrapping herself around his left arm.

“ I’m sorry for all your pain,” she said, resting her head against his shoulder. “ But I do appreciate you talking to me about it. Do you...mind if I did something to help you with it?” 

Thor looked down at her. 

She picked up his Frito pie and stirred it concentrating. After a moment, she handed him the bowl. “ Take a bite.”

He lifted the food to his mouth. He closed his eyes and leaned back on the couch, his face growing calm as he chewed.

“Mmm...” 

“Feel a little better?”

“Mmmhmm...what did you do?”

“I put some peace in your pie,” she answered. 

He sighed. “ Thank you, little one.” He touched her head, ruffling her curls. 

She leaned against him. “ Let’s watch a movie,” she said. “ Something ridiculous stupid.”

Forty minutes into a B--rated sci-fi movie about giant killer pigs, and Thor heard soft snoring next to him. Allie was fast asleep against him. He hugged her close and smelled the scent of warm cotton dried in the summer air. 

The kitchen was complete by noon the following day. Allie was in love with the new design of the kitchen, including the deep walk-in pantry and the double door fridge with a large bottom drawer. There was a deep freezer in the back of the pantry, a bigger island, and more cabinet space. Allie nearly cried, looking at all her requests that Tony had been able to do.

“ It’s amazing,” she said happily. “ Oh, and the backsplash is so nice. Look how much room is in here!”

She flitted back and forth from cabinet to cabinet. Thor and Tony stood back and watched her.

“ Grocery delivery will be here later today,” Tony said. “ Think you can handle it?”

Allie was so busy gushing over the installed spice rack that she didn’t hear him.

“I’ll help her,” Thor said, looking at him. He had been true to his word, helping to unload the food and stock the cabinets. When she started to cook for the arriving party, he had offered to help, then stood at the counter, keeping her company. Allie worked on a meal of spinach mushroom chicken pasta and salad. 

“Okay, so...” he said, leaning forward. “ What am I craving right...now?”

She looked at him. “ You still want...strawberry pop-tarts...” she said. “ Just like an hour ago.”

“Oh, that’s so amazing,” Thor said, smiling. He was more entranced by her gifts than she could ever imagine. Hadn’t he grown up with lightning and magic and science centuries beyond what was on Earth?

“ What else can you do? Maybe...oh, can you...cook up a curse? Or maybe make a drink that can let you see into the future?”

She tilted her head. “ Never tried that before,” she said. “ I wouldn’t know where to even begin with that.”

“Oh, how I wish my brother was here,” Thor said, leaning forward on the counter. “ He could be difficult, but his magical knowledge was so vast.”

Dinner with the returned team came with stories of growing insurgents of terrorists stealing information, gunfights in a warehouse, and a car chase somewhere in a mid-European nation. Afterward, the few leftovers were put away, dishes were washed or loaded into the dishwasher, and downtime was had. Super Smash Brothers was the name of the game that night. Allie sat back, more interested in watching them play than participating herself. 

As everyone drifted to bed, she sat with Thor, who had loaded another first-person shooter horror game in, and was now creeping around a haunted hospital. Allie was watching through her hands, cautious for a jump scare lurking somewhere in the scene. 

Thor laughed as he watched her. “ Do you want me to play something else?” he asked.

“No...” she said, still watching it. “ I like this one. It has a cool story...I just...hate...jump scares...”

The screen went black.

The music slowed.

Allie scrunched up in her seat, peeping curiously through her fingers.

A white face burst forth on the screen, a high pitched shriek filling the room. Allie jumped, giving a small shriek of her own.

Thor laughed, pausing the game and going to the save menu.

“ That’s enough for tonight,” he said. “ I feel as though I’d contribute to you having nightmares.”

Allie looked at him, shaking her head. “ No, no I’m okay. You don’t have to stop the game.”

“ It is time for sleep,” he said in a gentle voice.

Allie wanted to pout, but couldn’t deny she had grown tired. 

“Can we sleep in here again?” she offered.

He laughed. “ I suppose.”

“Okay, let me grab blankets!”

She dashed out the room and came back, holding an armful of bedding. She then ventured into the kitchen and returned with a bowl of popcorn.

“ Okay, so...how about...fighting movies until we go to sleep?”

Thor tilted his head. 

“ Lady Allie,” he said softly. “You sure you wouldn’t rather sleep in your bed tonight? Or is there a reason you keep sleeping in here?”

Allie sighed, her shoulders slumping.

“ Well, it’s just...I don’t have nightmares when I sleep near you,” she said. “ So...I just...”

Thor gave her a soft smile. 

“ It’s alright. Start the movie up.”

The movie was actually an old kung fu flick Allie had seen when she was younger. She hugged her pillow excitedly,engaged in the story.

“ Holy shit, did you see that face kick?” she said. “ Oh, I can’t imagine fighting like that.”

Thor gave her a curious look. “Do you want to learn how to fight?”

Allie’s eyes grew wide. She burst into nervous laughter.

“ Oh, no, I can’t fight. Like, not at all.”

“ Look, if you are going to live with the Avengers, you should probably know how to fight or something. Especially if you have people after you.”

Allie pointed to her stomach. “ pretty sure I don’t look the part of a fighter,” she said. 

Thor sat up with sudden vigor. “ Now see here, Lady Allie,” he said. “ Your curves have nothing to do with fighting skills. If you have the heart to fight, then you can do it.”

“Uh...” Allie started.

“ Starting tomorrow, Lady Allie, I will train you!”

“Um...no thank you?” Allie said.

“ Listen, you have helped me with your friendship and kind words. Now let me help you, please?”

Allie sighed. How could she say no to that sweet bearded face? 

“Alright,” she said.


	6. Meanwhile, In a Motel Room...

A woman emerged from the still dripping shower and wrapped herself in a towel that barely covered her tall frame. It was scratchy and the water had been lukewarm at best, but she knew there wasn’t much she could expect from the shitty cheap roadside motel in the middle of nowhere. The dried flecks of blood that had dotted her hair were gone, and that’s what mattered.

She wiped the fog from the bathroom mirror, revealing a reflection of a soft brown face with long dark hair braided back. She sighed and her reflection revealed the extent of her exhaustion. Her face was mostly healed from the fight months ago, but there was a faint scar on the edge of her jawline that she knew would never go away. Wasn’t nearly as bad as what happened to Brute, she thought, drying herself off. He was nearly killed. 

They didn’t think a simple kidnapping could go so poorly, but here they were, months later, in a moldy motel with no real leads and a bruised ego. 

She stepped out into the room and looked around. 

It was a dingy place, with mustard-colored walls and two full-size beds covered with faded green comforters. She had made sure to do the standard inspection of the place, despite her companions’ complaints. Bed bugs were no joke, though. Especially out here on the east coast.

Two of her companions were still in the room, the third one still out on business. A male was stretched out on the farthest bed, flipping lazily through the channels. The soft white light of the motel played off his ruddy skin, revealing the faint traces of scars crisscrossing his rough flesh. His face was set in that look that always seemed to have a snarl hiding beneath the surface. She was sure that if he was in his other form, his tail would be twitching right now.

The other was curled up on the edge of the nearest bed, her green nails vibrant against the black cover of the book she held. Wheat blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, long and glossy in the dim light. Despite the room being a content 70 degrees, she’d wrapped herself in a large oversized winter coat, with a thin blanket thrown over her slim legs.

“ Any calls, Tilly?” the towel-covered woman asked out loud, walking over to a suitcase against the wall.

She already knew the answer, but kept checking every thirty minutes anyway. Nerves were getting to her. It had been too long. They were overdue for a call now.

“ Nothing yet,” the blonde responded, looking up. “ But I’m getting hungry.”

“ What happened to Brute going out to get food?” the woman replied, bending over to dig in the bags. Her eyes flitted over to the man on the far bed. He stared at her with dark eyes, a growl growing in his throat.

“ Why can’t you do it, Vert?” He shot back. “ I’m tired of having to run out and get shit.”

Vert stood up straight, having pulled out a shirt and some jeans. She didn’t feel up to struggling into a bra at the moment. 

“ Because I told you to,” she said coolly. “ I’m in charge, remember?”

She spoke in a light voice, glancing at him with half-lidded eyes. He raised on the bed, eyebrows furrowed.

“ I can just text Zel to grab something, “ Tilly said quickly, looking between the two. “She is supposed to be on her way back tonight, anyways.” She felt around in the bed, picking up the black phone half-hidden in the blanket folds. Simple solution, she thought. If Zel answered.

“ It’s bullshit that you’re in charge and you know it,” Brute said in a rising voice. “ She should have put me in charge.”

Vert rounded on him, her eyes narrowed. “ Who is it that let himself be stabbed by a young girl in the first place, oh mighty leader?” she teased. “ If you had listened to me and not broke protocol, we would be done with this and home by now. But no, you had to do it your way.”

“ How was I to know she had friends that would come to her rescue?” he hissed. “Last I heard from your details, she had been suppressed. No friends, no family, magic restrained, and no one but that wizard guarding her. Next thing I know, I get stabbed with a damn kitchen knife.”

“ Oh, here we go again,” Vert said, throwing her arms up. “ The ‘ I almost died’ conversation.”

“ Fuck you,” he said, standing up. “ Look at this shit. I still have the scars on my back. Nothing else has ever done that. Does this look like the work of someone with restrained powers?”

He lifted his shirt. The wounds had sense healed over, but with dark ugly scars left in their place. None of the other scars on his body bore such an aggressive appearance. 

“ Look, I don’t know why the hell that happened,” Vert said, her voice dropping. She hoped he would take the hint with his tone. The last thing they needed was to be kicked out of another motel this late at night for a screaming match. “ However, you and I both know that she doesn’t like excuses. This was the closest we’ve ever come to catching her, and she’s trusting us with this. I just...I don’t want her to pull us off of this one.”

“ Do they still hurt?” said the blonde on the bed. She reached out a hand to touch him, but Brute pulled back, dropping the edge of his shirt.

“ Sometimes,” he said in a softer voice. “ They ache. I’ll make her pay, though.”

Vert looked at him. “We are to bring her back alive, Brute,” she warned. “You trying to play with your food before is what got you in that mess in the first place.”

Brute didn’t respond. He mumbled under his breath but returned to sitting on the bed, going through the channels.

Vert let out a deep sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose. 

“ Look, I’m not trying to be a bitch about this,” she said, turning to face them. “ But if we don’t want her to hand this job over to the others, we have to find this girl and fast. Tilly, I thought you had recast a tracing spell?”

Tilly looked up, frowning. “None of my tracing spells are working,” she replied. “ Brute can’t smell her at all, either. It’s like she’s vanished completely.”

“You can’t use the blood Brute got from his claws?” Vert asked.

“ That’s all gone,” she replied. 

“ Fuck. How can she be hiding like this? We know it’s not that shitty wizard,” Vert waved a hand, annoyed. “ And her magic was as chaotic as hell. She should have spewed up somewhere by now.”

She dropped her bath towel in mid-thought and started to shrug on the clothes. Tilly politely went back to staring at her phone. Brute tried to concentrate on finding something good on the limited selection of shows on the television, but his eyes wandered.

“Unless...she found another magician to hide her,” she thought.  
“But...no, all of those guys from that order are dead or gone. We decimated that coven from Augusta. None of those witches in Clarksville were helping anymore. The Californian Druids had turned that wizard away.”

“ We could try those magicians in Alabama again,” Tilly offered.

Vert shook her head, tugging the jeans on. “ They led us to them before, but I don’t think they know where she is now.”

The phone rang in Tilly’s hand. She answered it, putting it on speaker.

“ Any luck, Zel?” Tilly asked out loud.

“ Some,” the voice from the phone said. “ She hasn’t left America. I think we are getting closer.”

“Where are you?” Tilly asked.

“ On my way back. Long drive, Tell you about it later. Any calls while I’ve been gone?”

“None,” Vert answered, knowing what type of call she was referencing.   
“But she is going to get impatient.”

“ We better think of something soon, then,” Zel replied. “ Or she’ll skin us all alive.”

“ Hey” Brute called out. “ Hey, tell her to bring some food back!”

“ Did you hear him?” Tilly asked, trying to hide a smirk.

“ I’ll find an all-night diner and stop there or something,” she said, annoyance clear in her voice. 

They each rattled off what they wanted. Despite the exhaustion and fear of failure, the promise of food was something they were looking forward to enjoying. 

“ Shit,” Brute said, sitting up. “ I forgot to tell her what I wanted to drink.”

His personality was half changed at the promise of the pile of meat that was coming, now suddenly being a lot more personable as he chatted with Tilly.

The phone rang again.

“ I think she read your mind,” Tilly laughed, picking it up. She barely glanced at the screen before her finger automatically clicked the answer button.

A voice, low and sharp, came from the other end. Tilly’s face fell as she looked to her companions, and lowered the phone on the bed. She pressed the speaker button.

Brute bristled at the sound of the woman’s tone. Vert bit at her fingernail, worry blossoming on her face. Tilly hugged her legs to her chest.

“ Have you found her?” the voice said through the phone. “Or have you failed me?”

“ We are still-” Vert started.

“ It’s been months,” the voice chided. “ I’ve been patient, but I’m losing my calm. You had her location. You removed her uncle from the picture. Why can’t you find her now?”

Vert looked to Brute and Tilly.

“ Answer me!” the voice thundered through the phone.

“ Something happened,” Vert said. “ It wasn’t our fault.”

It was a weak excuse, she knew, but the call had caught her off guard. 

The next words came out in a low tone.

“ Tell me everything.”

Vert recounted the incidents, restaurant explosion, the fight at the apartment, and Brute’s hard to heal injuries. She explained how they lost the trail, how their leads dried up, and Zel had been trying to manually look for more information.

There was a long pause. 

“ Come back home, all of you,” the voice said plainly, and the line went dead.

They all looked at each other. What choice did they have at this point?


	7. Tater Tots and Tender Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is about twice as long as usual. I haven't decided if this will become the standard or not. Illustrations will return as soon as I get the time to work on them again! (Trying to balance school and work). Thank you again for reading!

Though Allie had hoped Thor would have forgotten about the training pledge, true to his word, the next day he had her down in the gym. She was more nervous than anything, but he had been considerate and planned for them to be in the smaller training room that wasn’t often used. Several times a week she was down there with him, learning moves and coming to understand how to defend herself. She had good instincts, he often told her, but her fear was getting in her way.

“ You did well today,” Thor said one afternoon. Allie looked up, fingers in her hair as she attempted to coax her curls back under her bandana. She was stretched out on the floor, wearing a pair of black shorts and one of his tank tops, the edge knotted to keep it tight. 

“Are you kidding?” she said. “ I’m still so slow, and I feel so clumsy in all my moves.” She sighed, looking down at her feet.

“ Ah, it’s only been a few weeks,” Thor said. “ It takes time to gain skill.”

She was being hard on herself, she knew. It had only been a month of light training, learning how to swing on the bags, lifting a few weights, and understanding, among other things, how to deal with landing on her butt. Thor slid her a water bottle across the floor. 

“Come on, give yourself some type of praise.”

She frowned. “ Alright, I’m...better than I was the first day?” she laughed. It was true. Her first day she had ended falling on her butt numerous times, which Thor had told her was an important part of the fight. 

She added, “Oh, and I am learning to anticipate the movement of others?”

“ Very good,” he remarked, smiling. 

“ There he is,” said a voice called out from the doorway. “ I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when they said you were in the gym.”

Allie glanced over to the doorway. Her eyes widened in mild surprise as a raccoon dressed in armor walked into the room. Two others trailed in behind him, a tall man and a blue-skinned woman with a robotic arm. She knew who they were from Thor’s introductions, but hadn’t met them yet.

“ Ah, I didn’t know the Guardians were here,” Thor said cheerily, greeting the group. He stood up and extended an arm to help Allie to her feet. 

“ Yeah, well, we wouldn’t be if there was any other option,” the man grumbled. 

“Allie,” Thor said. “ These are some of my newest friends. Nebula and Rocket. And this is...Quill.”

Allie smiled at the group, giving a cheery wave. “Hi!”.

“ Oh, did you get a girlfriend while we were away?” Rocket said in a cheeky voice. 

Thor laughed, giving Allie a half hug.

“ No, no, Allie is a dear friend of mine and a pupil. I have been training her to fight.”

“ Is she any good?” Nebula asked. Allie sensed some danger in the woman’s soft voice.

Thor gave Allie a look. “ Why don’t you demonstrate some of your moves on Quill. Quill, you are a bit of a fighter, right? Surely you wouldn’t mind standing in for a demonstration.”

“Oh, come on, now,” Quill said. “ I don’t want to hurt your friend. We just met.”

“ Nonsense,” Thor said, ushering her forward. Allie looked back at him, unsure. He gave her a broad encouraging smile. 

“ I don’t mind,” Allie shrugged. “ If it's okay. You don’t have to.”

“ I mean, Quill may be a bit...out of practice,” Thor said, a smirk on his lips. Allie glared at him, begging him not to goad him on, but the man had already taken the bait.

“Alright then,” he said, sliding off his jacket. “ Let’s see what your ‘pupil’ knows.”

Allie stood in front of Quill, looking up into his face. He was a nice-looking man, with a bit of a boyish charm about him. He also was craving some type of ...snack food she hadn’t seen before. Something from space?

“ Just so you know,” he said. “ I don’t make a habit of going around fighting little girls.”

Allie tilted her head. Just how young did he think she was?

“ Alright, now start with the Hansel,” Thor instructed. 

“ It’s like a handshake,” she said, demonstrating on Quill. “ Where you grip at the forearm like this.” She grasped his forearm briefly.

“ Okay,” he said. “ Then what?”

“Then we grip each other’s biceps like this,” she added, grasping him. Under his shirt sleeves, she could feel some muscles on his upper arms. Quill imitated her.

“ Now what?” Quill said, sounding impatient. 

“Um... wait, let me think,” Allie muttered, glancing down in thought. Quill turned and looked at Rocket, giving a smirk.

“ First move,” Thor hinted.

“ Oh right!” Allie exclaimed. “ Backdrop body throw!”

The smile fell from Quill’s face. “ Wait, wha-” he started.

Moving with muscle memory, Allie lowered her right arm, dropped, and slid forward to Quill’s left side. She gripped his waist and, moving from a squatting position, picked him up, arching her back, and flung him to the ground. 

He landed on the practice mat with a solid thud.

“ Oh, shit, was that too hard?” she gasped, covering her mouth in fear. Thor and Rocket roared with laughter.

“No, no,” Quill said in a strained voice. “ I...barely felt it.”

She tried to help him up, but he let out a pained groan and waved her off.

“ Let me...just give me a second,” he said. 

“ I’m so sorry!” Allie said, feeling her face grow warm. 

“ Looks like you just lost to the little girl,” Nebula said in a calm voice. 

“Did I hurt him?” Allie said, looking at Thor. 

“ He’s fine,” Thor said, patting her on the back. “ That was well done. You kept your form, you moved quickly, and you disconnected from your opponent. Good job.”

It was honest praise. She managed to give him a small smile in acknowledgment.

“ I think I will go wash up and put on some lunch, okay?” she said, gathering her stuff to leave. 

She caught bits of the conversation as she quickly went down the hallway, embarrassment building in her chest.

“ What have you been teaching her?” Rocket was saying as she left.

“ It’s called Glima,” Thor answered. “ Kinda like wrestling.” 

Allie was still wracked with guilt as she shuffled around the kitchen. Her dresses she had ordered still hadn’t come in yet, but her other clothes had arrived, including the sunflower blouse and lace-trimmed blue jeans she now wore. 

Lunch was some bacon ranch chicken wraps with a fresh fruit salad. Sam came into the kitchen as she was prepping the food, offering to lend a hand.

“ So how was training?” he asked, slicing the wraps and arranging them on a plate.

“ I’m getting better,” she said, cutting up more strawberries for the fruit salad. “ Thor seems to think so, at least.”

“Gonna show me some moves?” he asked. She laughed. It was no secret Allie’s shyness extended to the fact that she didn’t want anyone watching her training sessions, even Sam. 

“ Maybe,” she said, tossing the strawberries in the bowl. She grabbed a spoon and began mixing them in. “ I did just...body slam that Quill guy.”

“ You what?” he asked, eyes growing wide. 

“I know, I feel so bad! I was just demonstrating what I had learned.”

“I mean that’s impressive, though,” Sam said. Finishing his work, he washed his hands and returned, leaning back against the counter, folding his arms. He looked as though he was trying to find a way to say something.

Allie tilted her head back, feeling his eyes on her.

“ What is it?” she asked in a light voice. She had started to peel some oranges to add in, relishing in the crisp scent of the orange oil that was starting to coat her fingers. She had a soft spot for citrus. 

Sam shook his head. “ Nothing,” he finally said, letting out a soft breath. He rested a hand on her head, ruffling her curls. It was a sweet gesture, and becoming a common one, she noticed. “ Just want to make sure you are okay. You and Thor seemed to have hit it off well.”

Allie looked at him. Was there a question hidden in his statement?

“ He’s been a good friend,” she responded. “ and he’s needed a friend as well.”

She turned to give him a wide grin. “ Besides, I’ve never had a junk food buddy before. And he’s shown me so many different video games I didn’t even know about.” 

Sam laughed and seemed to relax. So there was something there, under his bright smile. It wasn’t jealousy, though, no. She was sure of that. Just...concern?

He helped her finish up lunch, adding some extra salad supplies, and by the time the Guardians had descended from the ship with Thor, having been in a meeting, lunch was ready to serve. Allie was introduced to Mantis, Drax, and Groot, finding them all odd but also charming.

At the table, Allie slid a glass of lemonade over to Quill, an apologetic smile on her face.

“ Have some,” she insisted in a warm voice. 

He gingerly lifted the glass to his lips, staring at her as though looking for some hint of a trick or gag. She could see the relief on his face as soon as he downed half the glass.

“ This is good,” he said. “ What’s in that?” 

“ Just lemon, sugar and water,” she said, shrugging. No need to explain the tiny amounts of pain relief she had tried to push into the citrus drink.

After lunch, Allie was in the kitchen, her radio on as she scrubbed the dishes. There had been several stations she had found up there that were to her taste, including one that played swing music late at night. However, like on many afternoons, there was what Sam had affectionately called her “bubblegum pop” music filling the kitchen at the moment. She was only vaguely aware of Thor behind her, wiping down the counters despite her protest in not needing his help.

“Allie,” he said, clearing his throat to get her attention. 

“ Oh, sorry,” she said, reaching over to turn the music down. “ Yes?”

“ I meant to tell you earlier. I had followed your advice and talked with Quill. 

“Really?” she said, looking back at the water. 

“ It went well. I think we are...on track to being decent friends, or something like it.”

She smiled. “ See? I told you that you just needed to talk to him.”

“ I shall also be going back into space,” he said.

Her movements slowed, her posture shifting. “ Oh? Already?” 

He replied, “ Yeah. Quill needs my help with something. It’s why they came down. So...I’ll be gone for a while.”

Allie turned back to the water, her hands moving automatically to continue her task. 

“ Any idea how long?” she asked, keeping her voice light.

“ Not sure at the moment,” he answered honestly. “ Maybe a few weeks. Or months.”

Something was tugging at her. Some rough jagged emotions buried deep down. She tried to smother it, push it back into the shadows.

“ Oh, okay,” she responded, her voice thick in her throat. “ I mean, I am happy for you. You want to get back out there, and now you can.”

Thor was behind her. She could feel his heavy warm presence. 

“ Hey, now,” he said, touching her arm. “ Don’t be sad. Look, Rocket has taught me how to use email now so I can send you messages. I’ll even bring you a souvenir.”

She leaned back to look at him, the top of her head hitting his chest. 

“ You don’t have to do that,” she said. 

“But I will,” he replied and kissed her forehead.

She closed her eyes and sighed.

“ When do you leave?” she asked, turning to face him.

“ Tonight,” he replied sheepishly.

Don’t let him go. Don’t let him leave.

Allie blinked. “ Oh, okay. Let me grab you some snacks.”

He laughed deep. 

Don’t let him go. Stay, please.

“And by snacks,” she clarified. “ I mean the 10 boxes of strawberry pop tarts I kept for you!”

Dinner that night was going to be spaghetti. Allie had the meat already thawed out. She stood over the pot of noodles, stirring them as the dark feeling grew in her. Why was she feeling like this? She tried to calm her mind, but something was there. Something that made her feel so...despondent. She cooked and seasoned the meat, before starting on the sauce. 

Why was she so sad? 

She glanced over to Thor, watching him chat with the others as they sat in one of the alcoves together, talking. She knew he would be leaving at some point, right? She was going to miss him, but this felt...this felt heavier than just that. 

The sound of hissing water pulled her from her thoughts. She turned to the stove. The pot of noodles was boiling over.

Stop it, she tried to snap at herself. What do you know about him? What right do you have to be so sad about him? People come and go all the time...all the time...

They leave you all the time. Because you are too much.

The thought had crept into her mind with no invitation. Allie was grinding her teeth as she stirred the sauce and only noticed it after her brain became aware of the harsh noise. She looked back at the group. Why did they have to come back now, when she was just getting to know him? 

“ You are going to love her cooking,” Thor said as they sat at the long dinner table. They were passing around the noodles and sauce, and Rocket was hogging the cheese grater from Quill. 

“ You alright?” Thor asked, speaking softly to Allie. She avoided looking him in the eyes and nodded. 

“I’m fine,” she muttered.

Why bother him with her weird feeling right now? She didn’t like being dishonest with him, but how selfish and childish would it be if she said she didn’t want him to go? She was trying to fit in here, not become some clingy mess. She stuck her fork in her noodles and took a bite. 

It was at that moment she realized she hadn’t tasted her own food enough while cooking. She looked around the table. Everyone else had slowed down their chewing. 

“Wow, this is...” Quill started.

“ It is...um...” Rocket muttered, chewing too long.

“ This is disgusting,” Drax said flatly.

“What, no,” said Thor. A chorus of voices jumped to Allie’s defense. She shook her head, putting her fork down. 

It tasted...bland if that was the word. Despite the seasoning, it tasted like...something unflavored. The texture was the same, the noodles were done, the meat was tender, the sauce was thick, but it tasted empty and flavorless. It was as though she had made gray nothingness into a food. It was like eating...

“Sadness,” Allie muttered, standing up.

“What is it?” Sam said from her other side.

“ Uh...sorry everyone,” she said, trying to smile. “ I think I might have...messed dinner up.”

With the evening still being relatively young, most of the team just made plans to go elsewhere for food.

“ We are going to stop by this space diner,” Thor told Allie as they walked towards the Benetar. “ It has the best milkshakes in the galaxy. Or rather, something that looks like a milkshake. I think it’s made from someone’s milk?”

She laughed, trailing by his side.

“ I’m so sorry,” she apologized for the fifth time. “ I don’t know what happened. “

“It’s fine,” Thor said. “ No one was hurt. It happens. You are still learning to control your power, remember?”

He was being so supportive. Why was he being so supportive? She had fucked up dinner. But no one had yelled at her. No one fussed at her. No lecture. Just some soft laughs and the food was cleaned up and alternative plans were made. She was trying not to wring her fingers together.   
The heavy sadness was growing again, pooling at the bottom of her stomach and leaving her unsettled. It didn’t feel like something bad was going to happen. It was something...something to do with her. Something in her.

“ Alright, now I want you to train while I am gone,” Thor said, resting both hands on her shoulder. She nodded, standing with her back straight like a good little student. 

“ I promise,” she said. She didn’t want to disappoint him. 

He tugged her into a hug. She sunk into his warmth, smelling his power under his skin. It was spices to her, a deep heavy mix that you rubbed on meat for a long slow roast. She wanted to cling to him, her fingers buried in his jacket, her face in his shirt. She was going to miss him. She was going to miss this.

She stepped back as he waved at them and stepped onto the Benatar. Allie pressed herself back against Sam, the cold night air causing goosebumps along her arms. 

“Have fun!” she said, waving at the ship as it rose in the air. A smile was plastered on her face. 

She watched until the ship was gone into the night air, and nothing was left but the cold, silent stars. Sam eventually steered her back towards the compound. She let him, keeping her head up.

He’ll be fine, she told herself. Why was she feeling like this? Why was she being so....clingy?

She looked up and noticed they were heading towards the garage.

“ What’s up?” she said to Sam.

“ Figured we go for a midnight drive,” he said. 

Could he tell? Did he know the weird emotions she was going through? She swallowed hard and nodded. 

They rode with the windows down, the night air snapping at her curls, trying to tempt them loose from her bandana. She leaned against the window, listening to the soulful 70s station that Sam loved so much.   
“ You hungry?” Sam asked, turning the music down slightly.

Allie turned to him, confused.

“ Everyone else is going to order some takeout,” he said. “Let’s grab something else tonight.”

It was a little all-night place, with greasy diner food that was deep-fried and delicious. Allie was content to eat her two chili cheese hot dogs and a pile of tater tots. She hadn’t eaten out in a small while, but this food...it was hitting her right where she needed it. 

They brought the food back to the car. Sam had opted for a double bacon cheeseburger.

“ Damn, you see how much bacon they put on this?” he said, showing her the burger. She laughed.

“ It’s more bacon than burger,” she said, eying the meaty monstrosity.

“ I know right?” he replied, a glint of happy mischief in his eyes.

“Let’s Stay Together” came on the radio. Without thinking about it, the two started to sway in the car. 

“ In times of good or bad, happy or sad,” they sang together and laughed. 

“What do you know about Al Green?” Sam said.

“ What do you think my Uncle listened to all the time?” Allie said. “He was a proud man of the golden oldies...I still have...” the smile fell from her face.   
“ I have his CDs in my backpack. Sometimes I...I listen to them...because I know all the words...” Her voice broke.

The tears came before she could even try to hold them back. She was sobbing silently, the back of her hand pressed against her lips.

“I’m sorry,” she said to Sam, wiping furiously at the tears.

“ Don’t,” he said softly. “ You don’t need to apologize.”   
He pulled her into a hug. 

“ If you don’t know me by now” by Harold Marvin and the Blue Notes came on the radio. Another song her uncle listened to on the late-night drives, in those quiet moments between leaving one home and finding another.  
Was she starting to miss those drives?

After a moment, she was able to speak.

“ I just...I don’t know...I have all these weird emotions, and then when Thor left just now...like, I felt suddenly so scared that he wasn’t going to come back, and I know that’s stupid, but...”

“Oh, Allie,” Sam said. “ I will be honest, I had been wondering when this would happen.”

Allie looked at him, confused.

“ You’ve been through so much,” he said. “ but I feel like you haven’t dealt with a lot of it. So it’s built up, hasn’t it?” 

She shrugged. “ I guess.”

“Just now, when Thor left, I saw your face.”

Allie looked down. “ I don’t get it. I normally can handle anything. Why did...just now, why did that break me so hard?”

“What do you think happened? ” Sam asked softly.

She recalled her emotions. “I just...freaked out for a moment. Like, logically, I know he is alright, but...and then dinner tonight...I don’t know...it’s like I just leaked sadness into it... I didn’t even...I didn’t even feel it leave me.”

“ Allie,” Sam said. “ If I was to schedule you an appointment with someone to talk to at the compound, would you be willing to do it?”

She looked at him.

“ Do you think I should?”

“ I think it could help you,” Sam said. “ Your magic is releasing like Strange said it would be, maybe getting a handle on your emotions and talking through some stuff would help. I am not going to ask you to talk to me about everything, but you should talk to someone, okay?”

She nodded. 

“ I know you are right. Tonight, when no one yelled at me for messing up dinner, I was so confused. It never occurred to me how much that wasn’t normal.”

She took a bite of her tater tots. Good food with nothing extra. That was all she wanted tonight. 

“ When does Wanda get back?” she asked softly.

“ In a little bit,” Sam said. “ Steve and I are going to meet her and Natasha in Wakanda on Tuesday. Should be back that night.”

She nodded.

They finished their meal and drove home. Sam switched the music out, trading the oldies for a New Jack Swing station. “Real Love” by Mary J Blige carried them down the dark road. 

Allie ran her fingers over her bracelet. Most of the time she didn’t even remember she wore it. She studied the rings in the faint light. It was a reminder of what was going on in the real world. She had to be on alert, and she couldn’t let herself keep getting attached to people so much. She was going to endanger herself. What had they already put at risk for her?

“ Thank you for being so awesome, Sam,” she said softly.

He smiled at her. “Not a problem,” he responded. “ I do my best to keep my word.”

There was something else bugging her.

“Sam,” she spoke, peering over at him. “Why...why did my brother make you promise to watch out for me if I called?” 

For a moment, Sam’s expression faltered. Something flashed in his eyes before he responded with, “ It was just a request of his. He knew you knew me, and he talked a bit about how chaotic your lives were. We had been through a lot together, you know?”

She tilted her head. “ You have to tell me about the missions you went on with him at some point.”

Sam frowned but didn’t say anything. Something was working in his mind. He had to ask. 

“Allie,” he asked softly. “ Do you know how David died?”

“No,” she said.

“ You never asked?” 

She shook her head. “ Uncle didn’t like answering questions, remember? Even his obituary was vague, saying he was killed on duty. I couldn’t really...find any information on it.”

She yawned. The accidental expenditure from dinner was catching up with her. Not long afterward, she was snoring in the seat. 

After helping Allie get to bed, Sam headed to his office and sunk into his desk chair. He dug through some albums until he found the picture he was looking for. It showed him and David, among a few others. 

There was a knock on the door frame. He looked up.

“ Hey. How is she?” asked Steve. 

Sam sat back. “ She’s...gonna be okay. I’m going to set up an appointment with the team doctor tomorrow for her. She just...is starting to process all she’s been through, I think.”

“ Thor leaving didn’t help, huh?” he said.

“ I think she’s been rather lonely,” Sam admitted. “ But she’s also still closed off.”

“ So what are you going to do?” Steve asked, walking in. 

“ I just got to give her time. I don’t want to be too pushy, but I want her to feel like she has someone in her corner,” Sam said, looking back at the picture.

“You know, I’ve gotta ask” Steve continued, glancing at the photo. “ What made you agree to look after her?”

Sam looked at him. 

“ That is a...bit of a story,” Sam said.

“ I’ve got all night,” Steve offered.

**************************

The therapist wasn’t as scary as Allie was first anticipating, but she did struggle. After the first session, she was set up to visit her once a week. It seemed so agonizing at first, being across from this stranger that somehow was to help her out after she spilled herself open and revealed all her secrets. She was anxious and nervous and waiting for judgment, but it never came. Somehow that made her more anxious.

She was in the kitchen now, bent over the counter with her tablet set up on the island. Sam, Steve, Wanda, and Nat were due to arrive that night, and she was working on figuring out a good recipe for them. The blender was out on the counter, whirling occasionally. Fruits and vegetables were cut up and sorted for smoothie prep. She was playing with her powers, adding bits of health and strength into a couple of the blends before labeling them and setting them aside. She had even prepped herself a few, aiming to keep her promise to Thor. Her energy would be tapped that evening, but it was worth it. Her phone was plugged into her radio, working as a set of speakers. The swing station wasn’t going to come through until later that night, so she set up some electro swing in the meantime. 

She was dancing around when she heard the tablet beep. It was a call coming in.

She turned the camera on as a screen popped up showing her Sam and Natasha in the front of the quinjet, Natasha steering. Steve and another man were right behind them, talking to each other in quiet voices.

“ Hey, Allie,” Sam greeted her. “ We should be there in a couple of hours, okay?”

She nodded. “ Okay, I’m looking for something to make for dinner. I know Tony and Bruce are still out of the country for a few days, so it’s just us. Anything you want?”

He smirked. “ Can’t you tell?” he asked.

She peered at him and frowned. “ Not...through the camera,” she said. Hmm...so her powers had some limitations. She had to make note of that. 

“ What about Sergeant Barnes or Vision? Do they have a preference?”

Natasha turned back and relayed the question.

Steve appeared in the video feed, leaning over Sam. “ We will eat whatever you make, Allie,” he said. 

“Hmm...okay. Oh, I’m making smoothies. I was just going to make Barnes one like yours, but I didn’t know if he preferred lemon or blueberry.”

“ You don’t have to make me anything,” a soft voice answered.

“Too late,” Allie said. “ Now which one? Or do you prefer another flavor?”

A dark-haired man leaned around Natasha, looking into the screen. Allie hadn’t gotten a good look at him before, but saw his soft face fully now, dark hair framing his chiseled features. Either the sunlight was bright or he had the bluest eyes she had ever seen. 

“ Um...blueberry is fine,” he said in a soft voice. “ I don’t want to make it difficult or anything.”

Allie tried to stop a soft whining noise from coming out of her. Oh, he was so sweet.

“DOn’t worry,” she said. “ It’s not difficult for me. I just want to make sure you enjoy what I make you.” 

“ I’m sure I will,” he responded.

“ Okay, we will see you in a bit,” Sam said. They said their goodbyes, and Allie lowered the window.

“ Sweet savior, that man is so pretty,” she said to herself. “ Why didn’t Sam warn me?”

There was a small crackling noise.

“ Uh, Allie?” said a voice. Her blood ran cold. “ The camera is still on.”

“ Shit,” Allie said, looking at the bottom of the screen. The call hadn’t disconnected, and the camera was still on.

She pulled it up, struggling to find the end button. She couldn’t help but glance at the screen. Natasha and Steve were chuckling. Bucky was biting his lips, a blush over his cheeks.

“ Shit shit shit,” Allie muttered before finally clicking on the red telephone button. The call ended. Whelp, that had been embarrassing.

Dinner was still in the oven by the time they arrived.

There was a cake on the counter, frosted a soft rosy pink with homemade buttercream. A piping bag was nearby. Allie was still deciding on what type of border she wanted to do along the edge when she sensed the telltale taste of ethereal cherries at the back of her mind.

“Wanda!” she cried out, seeing her friend. They hugged as she stepped into the kitchen, followed by a tall fair-skinned man with dirty blonde hair. He was dressed in a blue button-down shirt and khaki slacks, reminding Allie of a professor.

“ Allie,” Wanda said. “ This is Vision. Vis, this is the girl I was telling you about.”

“ A pleasure to meet you,” he said, shaking her hand.

She nodded, looking pointedly up to his forehead. 

“ Oh, that’s...no longer part of me,” Vision said, touching the spot.

“The princess was able to remove it?” Allie asked, curious. 

“ Yes. I am...just myself now.” There was a tone to his voice, but Allie couldn’t tell if it was relief or sadness.

The timer dinged.

“Oh, dinner is done,” she said happily and went to pull out the meat from the oven. 

“ What have you made?” Wanda asked.

“ I tried to be a bit braver and attempt a chicken cordon bleu recipe. Without any magic on purpose,” she said.

She took a piece off the pan and cut into it, slicing some for her and some for Wanda. 

“ This is great,” Wanda said, reaching for another bite. “ You did a fantastic job.”

“There are some vegetables and potatoes to go with it,” Allie added. “But I was so worried about how this would turn out.”

She turned to Vision.

“Would you like to try some?” she asked without thinking. 

“ I, uh...I don’t actually...eat,” he said softly.

“ Oh, right! I’m sorry, I had forgotten. Wait, does that mean you don’t have a sense of taste at all?” she asked innocently.

“ Not an organic one, no,” Vision answered with a soft smile. “ Even without the stone’s presence, I’m still a synthetic organism.”

Allie tilted her head, interested. She tried to imagine what it would be like to not to be able to taste anything. 

“ Is there anything we can help you with?” Wanda offered.

Allie directed them to set up the food on the front counter for people to come in and get what they wanted. Allie moved the cake she was working on to a turntable.

“ So, how have things been?”

“ Uh, well” she Allie hesitated, changing the tip of the piping back to a number 5. She started on a shell border at the bottom of the cake, slowly turning the cake as she went. 

“ I had a mishap with some spaghetti the night Thor left. I talked to Sam, and after talking with the therapist I...” she hesitated. She could tell Wanda anything, right? Vision was her boyfriend, and he seemed nice.

“ Well, she thinks I may have some anxiety from previous events.”

Allie stopped herself short, not wanting to admit what else the doctor had said in their session. There was some shame she felt in her secondary diagnosis, even though logically she knew it wasn’t her fault. 

“That is understandable, giving what you have been through,” Vision said. He hesitated, looking between Wanda and Allie. “ Oh, was I not supposed to say anything?”

“It’s fine,” Allie responded. “I’m not offended.”

“ What happened with the spaghetti?” Wanda asked.  
“ I made it...bland, somehow. Like, imagine what the saddest dullest gray tastes like, and that was the food. I seasoned it and everything, but my emotions leaked into it.”

“Fascinating,” Vision said.

Allie paused in her work to look up. “ Hmm?”

“ What you just described. Wanda had told me of your affinity with food and influencing it with emotions and thoughts. Tell me, do you know if you altered the taste of the food or just the perception of the taste of the food?”

Allie frowned and tilted her head. 

“I...uh, no idea?” she said. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“I’m surprised Banner or Stark haven’t asked you about running experiments,” he continued.

Allie looked down at the cake.

“Vis,” Wanda said. “ Allie’s had a bit of a rough time. We’ve been letting her get adjusted to a calmer lifestyle for a while before doing anything like that.”

“I wouldn’t mind, though,” Allie said. “ If it would actually help with figuring out what I can do.”

She added another border on the top of the cake, then changed the bag tip again.

“ Wanda, can you hand me a rose nail out of the drawer?” she asked. “ It looks like a flat metal disc with a needle sticking out of it.”

Wanda brought her the little tool. 

Allie gripped the rose nail in one hand and squeezed out the frosting with the other. Working slowly, she said, “ I’ve missed decorating so much. Baking always used to get me in trouble but I tried to be extra careful with this today.”

“ In trouble?” Wanda asked.

“ Because I loved decorating so much I’d leak happiness and excitement all over it,” she admitted.

She grabbed a pair of scissors, sliding them under the rose just right before placing it on the cake. She had done several more and some filigree designs before Wanda remarked, “ You are very good at that.”

She smiled. “ Thank you!” stepping back to look at her work. There were some mistakes here and there, but nothing too bad. She was out of practice, after all. 

Wanda started to say something when she looked over Allie’s shoulder, and said, “ Steve! I was wondering where you two went.”

Allie looked up.

Steve was walking into the room, dressed in a grey shirt and jeans. Trailing a few steps behind him Bucky, dark hair tugged back in a loose ponytail. 

Allie tried to hide the nervous grin that had spread on her lips, remembering her embarrassing remark earlier.

“ Allie, this is my best friend, Bucky Barnes,” Steve said. “ Buck, this is Allie. She’s staying with us for a while.”

He had on a heavy leather jacket over a white shirt and tight dark jeans. There was stubble on his strong chin, and his icy eyes were darting around the kitchen and dining area before coming to rest on her. His sweet handsome face wore a hard expression of sadness, exhaustion, and frustration all mixed. She stared at him for a moment, searching him, and while she was at it, what did he maybe want to eat? She expected steak or something like that, something hardy and tough and what an ex-assassin would want, right? But no. What he wanted was much different than she had expected. It took her by surprise, and her expression softened at the thought of it. 

Allie walked forward with her clean hand outstretched. 

“ Nice to meet you properly,” she giggled. Allie was painfully aware of her state of dress, messy curls tucked under a sunflower headscarf, stained apron over a ruffled blouse and dark skirt. She was covered in flecks of flour. She took his hand, staring up into his blue eyes. He met her gaze, and she knew that look. That moment of confusion that overtook someone when they met someone who has a bit bubblier than expected. 

“ Nice to meet you, Sergeant Barnes,” she added.

“Please,” he said with a gentle laugh. “ Call me Bucky.”

“Right, Bucky,” she said, feeling her cheeks grow warm. She rolled the name in her mouth. She tried to suppress a sudden giggle, and bit down on her bottom lip, glancing down before she looked back up at him. 

“Um, help yourself to dinner. It’s all done. I’m just working on dessert right now,” she gestured to the cake, as though not realizing they probably already saw it. Her brain was going a little haywire.

“ I made chicken cordon bleu, some potatoes, and vegetables,” she added. “Also some salad mix is still left in the fridge if you prefer that instead. Made plenty for everyone. Also, I already prepped some breakfast smoothies, and I made extra for you, Bucky, in case you wanted some as well. I didn’t know exactly what you liked, so I just...made it like Steve’s.”   
Shit, she was rambling. Stop talking, she thought. 

Bucky gave her a warm smile, his features softening.

“ You were right, Steve,” he said. “ She is very sweet.”

Allie giggled uncontrollably and had to look away, glancing down at her apron. Damn, he was turning her brain into pure mush.

“ You didn’t tell me your friend was so charming,” Allie braved saying to Steve. He looked between the two, grinning. 

“ Oh, Buck here was a lady killer back in the day,” Steve said, elbowing his friend playfully. 

“ I’m sure,” Allie said. Why was she still smiling so hard? 

She looked over to Wanda and Vision. Vision looked genuinely curious, while Wanda wore a smirk on her face that somehow made Allie feel even more embarrassed.

To save herself, Allie turned back to the cake and made one more rose to slide on it. She tried not to watch the pair out the corner of her eye as they fixed their plates and went to sit in the dining area. That one rose was brimming with more magic than she had ever done. It would be fine, right? 

The two returned a moment later, having forgotten drinks. 

“ I appreciate you cooking enough dinner for me,” Bucky added.

“Oh, no problem at all,” Allie said. She looked over her shoulder to see him watching her work. 

“It’s done, I think,” she said. “ It’s a white cake with strawberry frosting. I think it looks good?”

"It looks beautiful and delicious," Bucky said, smiling broadly. “ I look forward to eating your cake.”

“ I look forward to you eating my cake,” she said awkwardly, turning to face him. She watched his eyebrows raise and realized her words. Oh Gawd, was that dirty? Had she accidentally made a dirty joke?

“ I haven’t baked a cake in a while, though. So, uh, forgive me if it’s not...super good?”

What was wrong with her? Why did she suddenly have the social skills of a house plant?

“ You look like you know what you’re doing,” Bucky said, giving her a wink. 

Allie’s heart was pounding. 

When looking back on the moment, she realized a few seconds before it had happened, for the briefest moment a strange warmth run up her spine. 

" Allie," Wanda called out in a warning tone. 

Allie startled and looked back in time to see the cake hover several inches off the counter, shaking violently. It exploded with a loud wet plop, sending sweet chunks everywhere.

There was a stunned silence. Nearly every inch of the kitchen was covered in pink and white bits of cake and frosting. Wanda had just managed to throw a shield up for herself and Vision. 

There was no shield for Allie and Bucky. 

“ Fascinating,” Vision said again.


	8. Crab Rangoon and Little Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Contains some sexual content (masturbation). Reader discretion is advised. ^.^

“And that’s when the cake exploded,” Allie finished, looking down at her hands. 

“ I’m sorry,” Dr. Strange said, sitting up in his chair. “ Did you say the cake exploded?”

Allie nodded, not wanting to meet his eyes. She fumbled with a thread unraveling from her fingerless gloves, tugging at it.

“ But no one was hurt,” Wanda interjected, leaning forward in her seat next to her. Allie glanced at her, eying her carefully. The daylight streaming through the window softly illuminated her features. Allie looked at her deep ruby lipstick, her knitted brows as she concentrated. She was so determined to defend Allie’s mistakes, and she had no idea why. 

Allie looked at Strange. He was rubbing the bridge of his nose, exasperation evident on his face. A small gash was visible above his left brow, still healing over, and a bruise was forming under his collar. Where ever he had just come back from had been rough on him.

The rainfall outside started to pick up, pelting against the office’s window. A clock on the bookshelf indicated it was 12:37 pm on a Tuesday in gold symbols. Allie tugged down on the forest green sleeves of the oversized sweater she wore. If she hadn’t been overcome by nervousness, she would have seen this as a  
peaceful day, one deserving of a cup of tea and a handheld game.

It had been a morning of reporting back to the Sorcerer Supreme all the recent events that had been occurring at the compound, including the meal of sadness as Allie had called it and, of course, the explosive cake. He had sent for them a day after getting back from his trip, expressing the desire to check on Allie. Dr. Strange had listened with patience, occasionally taking down notes, but there was exhaustion in his voice that was hard to ignore. 

“ Well, as you’ve said,” he finally replied, “No one was hurt. Your emotional fluctuations need to be gotten under control, however. I’m going to recommend some meditation and mental exercises for you. How is the bracelet?”

Allie stretched out her wrist, the metal rings shifting coolly against her skin. Strange removed it from her and laid it on his desk. He whispered something over it in a language she couldn't understand. She leaned forward, curious.

“ What’s that?” she asked as the bracelet illuminated with a golden yellow light.

“ I’m strengthening the barrier on this,” he said. “ I won’t suppress your magical outlet, but with these eruptions, the shielding needs to be stronger.”

He glanced at Wanda. “ I’ll teach you how to do this, soon, in case I’m not in this dimension and it needs to be redone.”

The light faded and Strange approached Allie, bracelet in hand. She extended her wrist obediently, letting him fasten it closed.

The scent of licorice was warm in her mind but had a certain bite underneath it that she couldn’t quite name.

He spoke with a very matter of fact tone of voice.   
“I managed to do a little research during some downtime on my trip. It’s not complete, but I was able to find some things out for you.”

“ What did you...find out about me?” Allie asked, leaning forward in her chair. She couldn’t keep the worry out of her voice as she rubbed at her ear. 

Dr. Strange looked at her, as though about to say something, before walking back to his desk. 

“From what I’ve been able to gather, you seem to be manifesting  
various abilities that include food preparation and serving. Even your powers outside of that, such as your telepathic projection, is just a manifestation of your abilities. You are what people probably would identify as a kitchen witch in the old days, making herbal remedies and food to heal the sick and give aid. A strong one, to be sure, but nothing that some training and proper teaching cannot manage.”

Allie sat back in her chair, processing the information. A kitchen witch? Well, she had always suspected something like that probably? At least she got the confirmation she always needed. But the way he said “manage”, like it was a condition. Maybe that was just the doctor side of him?

“Are they common? Or are there not many?” she asked. 

A book appeared in Strange’s hand, and he opened it to a page for her to read. 

“ They vary throughout history, often disregarded as regular witches. Some stories have them working in various places from the court of kings to church kitchens to cottages in the woods. Some of the most famous cooks and alchemists in history were actually kitchen witches, whether they knew it or not. However, it seems like the practitioners became less common. Last I found any documentation regarding the skill being knowingly practiced was some southern housewives in the 1950s. Seems a small coven disbanded over a disagreement of stolen recipes.”

“Well that makes sense, “ Allie said, glancing up from the book. “ You never take another person’s recipe without permission.”

She looked up at the two. Dr. Strange raised his eyebrows.

“ It’s true,” she shrugged. “ Wait, but if I am just a little kitchen witch, why are there people after me?”

“ That I’m not too sure,” Strange replied. “ My guess is to utilize your powers for themselves. A drink that makes you stronger. A cookie to heighten your intelligence. Any number of possibilities. No doubt you’ve had some ideas yourself. As I said, there aren’t many around, and you seem to be a rather powerful one.”

Allie nodded, thinking of the pain-relieving lemonade. She used to keep a little notebook of ideas ages ago, hidden from her uncle. Maybe she could make another one? The idea of writing and thinking right now was drifting as a soft pounding echoed in her ears.

She looked back down at the page and frowned. 

“ But I don’t see anything about telepathy or anything in here.”

“ Yes, well, as I said, this is a start. Let’s worry more about what we know now, and work from there.”

Strange waved his hand through the air. Several more books appeared in front of Allie, dropping quickly into her lap. She caught them with chilled fingers. 

“ I want you to go through these books, thoroughly, and pay special attention to the sections I’ve marked for you. You see, making unsweet drinks sweet is interesting, but the cake is what concerns me. Magic outbursts can be dangerous. You are going to be joining me once a week for lessons like Wanda, and I will quiz you. If you insist on living in the compound instead of here while we figure out who these people are, we will just do some...distance learning. I will come to the compound, later on, to activate wards in the kitchen you most often use. For precautions, of course.”

He gave her a smirk. Allie frowned. 

“So...I’ll have homework?”

“You understand homework, right?” There was only a hint of sarcasm in the question. 

“Well yeah. I mean, I’d never been in any kind of official school before. Well, there was my homeschooling, and we lived with a few retired teachers before, and the two semesters I had been in an online college, but that was it.”

“ Well, consider this as your entry-level into magical studies.”  
Allie smiled at him, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, which were slightly unfocused.

“ Are you alright, Allie?” Strange asked, concerned.

“Huh?” she blinked and rested the heel of her palm on her head.

“Uh, yeah, just a small headache. I get them sometimes.”

He walked over to her and touched her forehead. “Hmm...” he ran a hand over her skin. He didn’t seem to be looking at her so much as through her. With delicate fingers, he tapped her forehead intently. Allie blinked at the action, then looked up at him.

“ Better?” he asked softly. She was warm beneath his touch and smelled faintly of butterscotch. 

She nodded. “ What did you do?”

“Why don’t you help yourself to something to drink in the kitchen? And when you get home, rest. No cooking tonight. Doctor’s orders.” His tone was soft but firm.

“ Is something wrong?” she asked, grasping the books to her chest.

“ Your blood pressure is elevated,” he announced. “ I’ll send a recommendation for you to speak with a doctor at the compound. Cut back on your salt, opt for garlic instead. Now, I need to speak with Miss Maximoff alone.”

“Wait, but you didn’t tell me what...” Allie started, still processing the news. She looked up, only to find herself sitting at the end of the chilly hallway down from Dr. Strange’s office. It was a little alcove with a wide beautiful window overlooking the rainy street. Allie huffed. At least it was a lovely view. Even the window was beautifully made, with large organic shapes arching and curving like beautiful vines.

“Art Nouveau,” she spoke the name before even realizing it. Clutching the books, she made her way to the kitchen, staring at the architecture of the building the entire way.

Back in his office, Dr. Strange glanced at Wanda. 

“ Sweet girl,” he said quickly. “ Worried about her health, though.”

He walked over to his desk. 

“ It’s worse than I thought,” Dr. Strange said, sliding into his chair. “Her powers are developing rapidly. We need to get her trained as fast as possible.”

“Because of the people after her?” Wanda asked, arms folded.

“ More so because of her. Don’t mistake me, I am worried about whoever is after her. But I’m more worried about her being too unstable to handle herself. She got excited over a guy and exploded a cake. Imagine if she was angry at him?”

It was hard for Wanda to even imagine Allie being really angry. All silent tears, hard footsteps, and slamming pot lids.   
“And what else did your research say beyond 1950s housewives fighting?” Wanda asked pointedly.

Strange sighed. “ Not a lot, but I just got started. It’s very piecemeal and overlaps in some areas. It is going to take some time, but now that I’m back in New York for a bit we can look further into it. However, currently, I am concerned with her powers still developing so rapidly. Whatever methods her Uncle used to suppress her was doing more harm than good, I’m afraid.”

“Then maybe it’s something more?” Wanda offered.

“ Maybe,” Strange said. “ I’ve found some threads of tracking spells trying to attach to her, but the bracelet is doing well to hide her, and I’ve severed any that tried to stick to her. The blood on the knife wasn’t as useful with retracing as I had hoped.”

“ Did they block it?” Wanda asked.

“ Someone did, but not the same person who did the tracking spell. The one blocking the blood tracing is much more powerful. I am starting to think whoever came after her was having their strings pulled by someone else.” He frowned. “Something else is going on here.”

“Whatever it is, we can protect her,” Wanda said. 

Dr. Strange looked at her. 

“ Tell me, Wanda, who else at the compound feels so strongly about Allie?”

Wanda frowned. “What do you mean?”

He sighed. “I have some suspicions about something, but I can’t confirm it at the moment.” He sighed, looking out the window.

“Maybe I can help,” Wanda offered. “Or we can at the compound.”

Dr. Strange looked at her. “I daresay I’m going to probably have to do something I detest.” 

“What?”

“Ask Tony Stark for a favor.”

======================

Allie looked out of a window into the courtyard, watching the other initiates in the covered courtyard practice opening portals. She was fascinated by the golden sparkling doorways, the symbols that danced in She was sipping on a soda as she leaned forward letting her forehead rest on the cool glass. If she studied with Strange, could she learn to do something like that? Wield magic?

She was still processing her diagnosis, as she called it. It was like she knew it all along, and yet... it seemed so neat and tidy. Kitchen witch. Food magic. Enchanted pastries and bewitched bread. Sorcerous soups and mystical meatloaves.

Something panged her heart as she looked at these magicians, and she couldn’t help the thought that came to mind.  
Did that mean that she...belonged in the kitchen? And only in the kitchen? The idea weighed heavily in her mind. Is that why she hoped it was something more? She did love cooking, but...the fear that that was all there was to her had begun to peck at the edges of her mind. 

“I’m just a kitchen witch,” she muttered to herself.  
“And what’s so wrong with that?” a soft voice said near her ear. 

Allie jumped and looked around. There was no one there. She glanced up and down the hallway. She was completely alone.

“ Ready to head home?” said a familiar voice. Allie turned to see Wanda and Strange standing there. Maybe...? No, she had to have imagined that voice. That was all. 

“ I’ll send you back,” he said. She watched him open a portal to the grounds outside the compound. 

“ Tony gets fussy if I open a portal inside,” he said, looking at her. “ Security breach, he says.”

He sent them off. 

Allie trailed behind Wanda, hugging the books tight to her chest. 

“ Well, that was interesting,” Allie said, trying to make conversation as they crossed the grass. “ I expected him to say more, but...I mean, at least I know for sure now?”

“It’s a start,” Wanda responded, looking back at her. 

Allie frowned. “ Do you think...I’m still safe to be here?”

They were almost to the doors of the compound.

Wanda turned to look at her.   
“What do you mean?”

Allie looked down. “Just that...I mean, what if me being here is putting you all in danger? What if they come here looking for me. Or what if...I lose control?”

Wanda walked over to her. Allie took a hard shaky breath, her eyes clouding.

“ No, no,” Wanda said, touching her arm. “ Don’t cry. It’s okay. You will be safe here, okay? It’s going to be fine.” She leaned close to 

“ I guess it’s just...I never stay anywhere longer than a year, so I...if I need to leave, I just...”

Wanda slid her arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

“None of that, now,” she whispered to her. Allie pressed against her, her nose in the crook of her neck. Wanda resisted the urge to run her fingers through her curls. “ Come on, you need to rest per the Doctor’s orders.”

Allie went to her bedroom, unloading the books on her desk, and fell backward on her bed. It was one of her off days, so she was free to spend it in her room if she wanted. There was a tiny kitchenette down the hallway where she could get a drink and some snacks if she wanted. Her headache had receded, but she was still feeling off. Wanda messaged her that night to check on her, but Allie was too exhausted to engage in conversation, only sending a polite short reply. The next day she was informed by FRIDAY that, per Tony’s request, she would refrain from cooking for the rest of the week, saying the team could handle themselves. Allie frowned. Well, this was just more time for herself, right? 

It was early in the morning and she was still mulling over Strange’s words as she flipped through the books he had given her. She was curled up on her window seal, eyes sliding over the entries of herbs and spices, all with histories more complex and interesting than she could ever imagine. It was fascinating, and she had almost finished with the tome already. The other books had been on a mix of things, meditation and chakra, and several other mystical subjects. 

She was suddenly reminded of her Uncle’s magical supplies. She pulled her backpack out of her closet, and tugged through it, looking for his bag. It was buried at the bottom, with the CD case. Inside were a few crystals, some little bottles of ingredients she didn’t know, and a tin filled with chalk pieces. She pulled that out and tossed it on the bed. Maybe it would be of some use. She dug through her bag again. 

Something tumbled to the floor, tangled up in some of her forgotten clothes. She picked it up slowly. Oh yeah, the hair dye she had bought. She fished out the other supplies. Bleach and smaller boxes. It had been an impulse buy months ago, back when she was annoyed at her Uncle and thought about dying her hair. Her uncle wouldn’t have allowed it, after all, or at least would have commented on it endlessly. She was too scared to even try it, despite the number of internet videos she had seen on how to handle it. Maybe she could still do it, with a little help...

She glanced at her phone. Allie took a picture of the hair color box and sent it to Wanda with the message: “ Maybe help me out later on?”

20 minutes later, after she had gone back to thumbing through her books, Allie’s phone chimed.

“Sure!”

A headache was creeping up on her again. Dammit, she needed to eat. She looked at the clock. Had she not eaten anything all day? Except for some snack foods from Thor’s room that he had left for her to pillage. It was getting late in the day. She wasn’t working in the kitchen this evening so her time was her own, but what to do? She was tired of reading, didn’t feel well enough to play games or crochet or...anything like that. 

She sat back on her bed. Sam was out with Steve, Nat, and Bucky. Tony is out with his wife. Bruce was most likely in the lab. Endless others were milling about the compound, new and old recruits, SHIELD agents and scientists, and other people all going on about their lives. Even Thor was out in space, doing work. Wanda was probably spending time with Vision. Here she was, on her night off, much like she had been before under her uncle’s thumb: either in the kitchen or in her room. 

What would she do if she had Strange’s power? Open a portal to one of the places she saw in her dreams? Walk down a rainy Japanese ally or through a French park, or maybe just to a beach in San Francisco, or take a haunted tour in Savannah?  
Anywhere. 

Suddenly, her room was too hot and small for her. Allie jumped up and left, letting her feet lead her somewhere, anywhere to get her out of her room and out of her head.

She made her way to Thor’s room and tugged an ice cream sandwich from his mini fridge’s freezer. It was unhealthy, she knew, but so sweet and delicious. She fell back on his bed, smelling him still in the blankets and pillow. She found herself craving his hugs, his thunderous voice, his warmth. 

“ Allie,” a voice said, startling her out of her daze.

“ Yes?” she gasped, sitting up. She had dozed on the blankets, her fists balled up in the thick fabric. It was FRIDAY, her cool AI voice calling down from the speaker in the ceiling.

“ A package has arrived for you. You told me to wake you when any of your orders arrived.”

Allie leaped up. “ Yes! Thank you! Where do I pick it up?”

She was already scrambling to the door.

“ I’ve instructed it to be delivered directly to your bedroom. Discreetly.”

Discreetly? Allie frowned at that sentence until realization hit her. She scuttled down the hall back to her bedroom, just in time to see the unmarked brown package in front of her door. Quickly she grabbed it and backed into her room, thankful for an empty hallway.

Allie had only owned devices such as this a few times in her life, but always cheap knock offs that she kept stashed away, and eventually were broken, lost, or forgotten in a move. This one had been a late-night splurge, something she had been wanting but hadn’t thought to get until a certain...dark-haired gentleman showed up.

She felt her cheeks grow warm as she opened the box. There were some art supplies, some needlework tools, and down, at the very bottom, was the source of her strange giddy excitement.

She giggled at the black and gold packaging, the elegant wrapping somehow trying to betray how pricey it had been. She pried the box open, lifted the plastic, and revealed a small black vibrator with gold designs along the bottom edge. It was a rechargeable one, with a base you rested it in and a charging cord that plugged into the wall. There was even a complimentary bottle of toy cleaner and another bottle of cooling lube as well.

Allie wasted no time prepping the toy and settling it up to be charged. In the meantime, she gathered some pajamas and got into the shower. It was a nice, long, hot luscious shower, with the lights set to dim. She enjoyed the opening feel of the peppermint soap and began to think of the nice deep sleep she was going to have afterward. And orgasms were good for headaches, right?

She couldn’t help letting her thoughts drift elsewhere, to the image of a tall dark-haired man with piercing blue eyes. What would he think of her if he could read her mind now, and know where her thoughts were drifting.

She had just slipped out of the shower when a knock came on her door. She called out, still wrapped in only her long fluffy bath towel.

“ Uh, it’s Bucky,” the voice came back.

Allie froze.

“ Um...one moment,” she said, looking for her pajamas. Oh, but she wasn’t going to put those on just yet. Uh....dammit...

She hadn’t been around him since the cake explosion incident, where she apologized profusely while trying to clean the mess up. She managed not to cry in frustration until she had been safely back in her room, trying to wash frosting out of her hair. 

Triple checking that her towel was secure, she answered the door with a cheery, “ Yes?”

“ I was gonna ask you if....uh...” the words died in his throat as his eyes traveled down her body, noticing the bright teal towel hugging her curves and hanging to just above her knees. Water droplets glistened on her shoulders and neck as she tilted her head, confused.

“ Ask me what?”

“Uh, if you...were hungry. Um, Sam, and the others were going to order some Chinese food and wanted to know if you wanted any.”

“ Ooo, yes please,” Allie answered. “ Chicken with mixed vegetables and fried rice. Oh, and some crab rangoon, too. If that’s okay.”

Bucky gave her a short smile.

“ Uh, yeah. That should be fine,” he responded. “ I’ll...let them know.”

His eyes lingered a little too long on her before he took off back down the hallway.

Fuck, Allie thought, pushing on the door. Alright, well now she was on a time limit. Could she get off before she was called down for food?

The light on the vibrator was green. She propped up her pillows, and, resting back against the headboard, and laid the towel on the bed. She pushed her headphones into her ears, putting on the most sultry lofi she could find and slid into her bed. Grabbing the device, she turned it on, low at first, and slowly parted her legs.

Low on this thing was high on her old cheaper ones. She was not prepared in the slightest for its intensity. She let her mind wander, thinking of whatever would get her there the quickest. She already knew, though, who made her feel the strongest like tumbling over the edge. Those sweet pink lips on her neck, his short stubble rubbing against her tender skin. One warm hand on her hip and the cold metallic one trailing down her body, making her shiver at his touch. She bucked her hips at the thought of him caressing her skin, warm whispers against her flesh, saying all the sweet dirty things she wanted to hear.

“Mmm...Bucky...” she let herself mutter out loud. She was already getting closer. How long had it been? 

They had already ordered the food, but Sam realized too late that the drinks had been forgotten. He was already out with Nat, picking up the order, and called Steve to ask what he wanted.

“ Hey,” Steve had called to Bucky, who was sitting across from him in the lounge. “ Go see what Allie wants to drink. She hasn’t answered her phone.”

Bucky, still trying to get the thought of the young woman in nothing but a towel out of his mind, quietly obliged, and trudged back down the hallway. At least by now, she should be dressed, right?

The hallway was dark except for a sliver of yellow light coming from Allie’s bedroom through an open crack.

“ Allie?” he called, knocking softly. 

“ Bucky...” he heard her say in a low voice. “ Bucky....come...”

Her voice sounded strained and desperate. Frowning, he slowly pushed the door open and entered the room. 

The air was hot and thick in the room. The yellowish light was cast by the curtain of LEDs that hung from the ceiling. Bucky only had a moment to marvel at the arrangement of the room before his eyes fell to Allie, naked and splayed out on the bed, one hand on her breast while the other was between her legs. She had her eyes shut, headphones in, moaning, and sweat covered as she squirmed with pleasure. When he heard his name, it hadn’t been her inviting him in. It had been her muttering his name like a broken prayer as she worked herself to climax. 

Bucky stood frozen at the sight before common sense caught up with him and he quickly exited the room, closing the door quietly behind him. 

He was halfway down the hall before he had to pause and lean against the wall, biting his knuckle to keep from making a noise. His heart was pounding, and he knew his face was flushed. That was not something he was supposed to see, or even know about. And yet, he couldn’t help the feeling of excitement that had overtaken him. Just briefly thinking back to it was already making him hard.

He tried to calm himself down before he went back into the lounge, reporting that she was asleep, and nothing else. 

Focus on something, focus on anything, he was thinking to himself. Anything but what you just saw. Anything but her slick skin, or her mumbling you name as she imagined you bringing her to pleasure.

Bucky fought to refocus his mind.

“ You okay, man?” Steve asked. 

“ Yeah. Just a little...hot,” he rasped out, stripping off his second shirt. It had been cool enough that day for two, but now he only needed one.

Allie entered the room just after Sam and Nat got back, dressed in a set of fleece pajamas the color of dark roses. A flower pattern was embroidered on the edges. Sweet and good. 

“Oh, this smells so good,” she said warmly, plopping down between Sam and Steve. “ I’m excited.” She flashed a soft smile to everyone, including Bucky, who did his best to return it. Act normal, he tried to tell himself, though he already knew he was far from normal at this point.

Bucky did his best to avoid eye contact throughout the meal, but it was nearly impossible. 

“Hey, Bucky,” she said once, lifting out a piece of crab rangoon towards him. “ Would you like some?”

“ Uh, sure,” he answered, taking it from her. Their fingers brushed for a moment, and he saw it there, in her face. Her sweet demeanor faltered for a moment, and she looked at him with a hint of something else in her eyes. Her bottom lip was shiny from the grease of the egg rolls, her curls tossed up in a messy ponytail with strands hanging down to frame her face.

She only thought he had just seen her in her towel. She didn’t know what else he had seen. 

Bucky excused himself not long afterward, unable to keep up the pretense of innocent conversation. Steve knew something was up with him, and Nat could probably tell as well, but Sam and Allie looked none the wiser. 

“I’m going to bed a bit early,” he said, stretching. “ Need to shower. Goodnight.”

Allie watched him leave. The disappointment was evident on her face. 

“ Night,” she said softly.

This is because of you, he thought, eyes sliding over her soft face.

In the shower in his apartment, Bucky let the hot water run over his shoulders. He braced himself, one hand resting against the shower wall while the other was wrapped around his member, and slowly working himself. He was grunting as he thought of her, spread open for him, begging for him. Her sweat-soaked skin, tousled curls, cute lips, and soft dark eyes staring up at him from beneath her lashes. Would she drag her nails down his shoulders, over his neck, through his hair? He could still hear her saying his name in that voice like dark honey.

His body tensed, and he spilled himself in the running water, whispering her name under his breath.

“ Fuck” he muttered to himself afterward. Had he really just done that? 

When he slipped into his bed that night, face still flushed, he could still see her face in his mind, lust-filled, and felt a mixture of excitement and guilt. She was a sweet girl, loving and adorable...but she had another side to her, this spiciness that was tucked away, that he longed to see, and taste for himself.


	9. Hot Chocolate and Sweet Dreams

There was an enormous amount of drawers and storage in the kitchen, a bit too much if Allie could be honest about it. However, she had a drawer near the stove that she preferred, and it was there that she stashed the rest of the set of knives she had brought with her to the compound. Four of the five iridescent bladed utensils remained with her, the fifth still in Dr. Strange’s possession. She hadn’t thought of them much until Sam visited her one morning.

“ Mornin’,” he greeted her, fresh from his run with Steve. His grey shirt was soaked in sweat as he opened the fridge, looking around.

“ I got your drink here,” Allie said, pouring the thick fruity slush from the blender into a cup. “ And your lunch is already prepped. I even grabbed you a peach yogurt for a morning snack.”

“Look at you,” he smirked. “ Running this kitchen like it’s your own.”

“ Almost,” she said, pouring the rest of the smoothie into several more cups. “ Tony can’t make up his mind if he is going to eat in the lab or go out, and I know most of you are going to that benefit tonight so I don’t need to worry about dinner. Since Nat is looking for more protein, I got her some chicken wraps, and the amount of eggs Steve eats is...insane, even for a super-soldier...” she paused. “ Shit, I forgot to prepare lunch for Bucky. I think he eats about as much as Steve.”

“I expect so,” Sam said, watching her flit around the place to gather more supplies for another lunch.

“ Hey, when you are done here, come down to the gym. I got a present for you.”

Allie stopped short in her scuttle around the kitchen. “ Oh? Okay! I’ll bring in the smoothies down there, then,” she said. 

Sam nodded and left her to her work. 

Half an hour later, Allie had loaded up a drink holder basket and walked down to the gym floor. There were several different rooms along the hall, including a long room with treadmills and lift equipment and another with a boxing ring in the middle. Natasha was in the ring with one of the younger recruits of SHIELD, trading practice punches. Allie made her way to the edge of the ring, avoiding making eye contact with the other recruits around the room. She felt suddenly aware of how odd a woman in a bright blue dress and fruit stained apron looked in the room amongst sports gear and grey sweatpants.

“Allie, right?” a voice said. She turned to see a woman approach her, hand outstretched. She was a thin frame, with a slim strong face and bright hard eyes. Allie shook her hand and grinned, receiving a polite smile in return. The woman was dressed head to toe in black, her dark hair pulled back into a severe style. She was all business.

“ Hi, and yes”, Allie had answered. “ That’s me.”

“ Maria Hill,” the woman introduced herself. “ You are a friend of Sam’s, right? The new chef for the team.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Allie answered, her eyes flitting back to the boxing ring. Natasha had flipped the woman on her back, slamming her on the mat. Allie flinched unconsciously.

“ Not your type of environment, huh?” Hill commented gently. There was nothing in the statement, only pointing out something obvious.

“ Oh, uh, no, not really,” Allie admitted shyly. “ I just came to see Sam and bring down some smoothies.” She held up the basket. “ I...I have a few extras if you want some.”

She looked down at the basket, eying the little flower charms that hung from the wicker handle. 

“Uh, no thanks,” she muttered politely. 

Allie tilted her head, peering at her, and smiled.

“ No, you’d rather just have some coffee,” Allie remarked. 

Hill raised her eyebrows. “ Impressive. So what are you, some kind of...food fairy?” she said bluntly.

“ Kitchen witch is the term,” Allie said. 

Sam walked into the gym, eyes down as he flipped through the paperwork for the next mission. Steve was at his side, already trying to draft a plan. He was hoping for a sneak attack, a quiet in and out if possible to avoid casualties. 

He paused mid-conversation.

“ What’s Hill doing talking to Allie?” Steve commented. Sam closed the folder, looking up. Allie was standing about a foot from Hill, clutching at the basket in her hand. She kept looking down, her body rigid. Hill was speaking quietly, arms folded, but something about in the interaction caught Sam’s attention.

Sam could hear bits and pieces of the conversation as they approached.

“ ...could be doing something outside of the kitchen,” Hill was saying.

“Allie,” Sam said brightly. “ There you are.”

She turned to look at him, her eyes lighting up.

“ Hi, Sam” she smiled. 

“ Wilson, Rogers,” Hill said politely. “ Well, I’m heading back to work. Nice meeting you, Allie.”

Allie nodded. 

After she had left, Sam looked at Allie. 

“ What was that about?” 

Allie held the basket up, fishing out their drinks.

“ Oh, just saying hi,” Allie said. “ I keep forgetting there are so many people around here that I never see.” She handed them each their smoothies. 

“ For good reason,” Sam muttered. 

“Eh, I’m okay,” she said, looking back over at Natasha. She was fighting a male recruit now, a tall beefy guy. She took him down with several kicks and a swing of her elbow. 

Sam realized Allie was only half-listening to him, too entranced in the fight.

“Looks like Nat’s got an admirer,” Steve whispered to Sam. 

Nat stood up straight, breathing hard. She tossed a strand of hair out of her eyes and sighed. She turned to see Allie looking up at her, smoothie in hand, with awe in her eyes. 

“ Thanks,” she said breathlessly, taking the drink. 

Allie honestly hadn't talked much to Nat one on one. It wasn’t on purpose. Natasha didn’t avoid her, as Rhodey did, but rather chances of her not being busy where slim. Allie didn’t always know how to talk to the woman, often treating her like a beautiful dangerous cat that may scratch the hell out of her. That approach seemed to work so far.

Nat took the drink with a soft “ Thanks” and looked down at her, leaning on the ropes. Allie watched her nails tap on the plastic cup. She looked down at her with half-lidded eyes, a cat watching a frightened mouse.

“ So when are we getting you in here?” Nat asked, nodding towards the ring.

Allie shook her head quickly. “ Oh, uh, probably not...soon. I’m not that good...” she muttered, looking away.

“ That’s why you gotta learn,” Nat said. “ We’ll train you. Besides, Thor said you were pretty decent.”

Allie looked up, smiling. “ Thanks,” she said, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. 

“Come on,” Sam said to Allie. “Your surprise is in the other room.”

Allie, not sure how to disengage, gave a small clumsy curtsy and followed him out the room. 

Sweet giblets, I’m so awkward, she thought to herself.

“ You aren’t that awkward,” Sam muttered out loud. She looked at him, shocked. 

“ Yeah, I heard that,” he said, leading her into the smaller gym Thor always trained her in. “ You got to work on that broadcasting before you share something...not for everyone,” he said with a laugh.

He had a box sitting on a table in the corner. 

“ Alright, close your eyes,” he said, reaching for the small container. Allie gave an involuntary giggle, closing her eyes. Something about surprise presents always did that to her.

“ Alright, open,” he said.

He held out several short black knives.

Allie gasped and picked them up.

“ Oh wow,” she said. ‘ They are so light!”

“I figured since you’re on your way to being a hardcore fighter, I could get you some knives. These are made for training without much of an edge so you shouldn’t hurt yourself. Maybe you’ll let me show you how to use them.”

She looked at him, head tilted. “ Really?”

He nodded. “ If you want. No pressure.” He could sense her hesitation as she reached for the knives. 

She picked one up, tossing it from hand to hand. It was smooth and cold between her fingers.

“ It’s so light,” she said in amazement. She gripped it by the handle loosely, waving it back and forth. 

“ Why don’t you try throwing it?” he recommended. He was going to recommend a place outside to practice when Allie gripped one of the knives and turned towards one of the targets in the corner of the small room. It was propped against the wall near the doorway.

“ Like this?” she said, throwing it. 

“ Hey, is Steve in here?” A voice called out. Bucky was coming through the gym door, wearing a tight sweat-soaked tank top and some grey sweatpants. 

Allie made a small noise in surprise, and the knife slipped from her fingers.  
The blade sailed through the air. Bucky’s reflexes gave him plenty of time to avoid it, catching it midair.

Allie yelped, covering her mouth. “ Oh shit, I’m so sorry!”

“ Alright,” Sam said, pocketing the other knives. “ I’m just going to...hold on to these until I’ve trained you on some knife safety, okay?”

Allie sprinted up to him, frowning. He handed the knife back to her, the tips of his fingers brushing her palm. He was close enough that she could smell his spiced cologne. Beads of sweat drizzled down the side of his neck. She glanced at his dark stubble and the strands of dark hair plastered to his forehead. 

“ Nice throw,” he said softly, looking her up and down. “ Though next time you throw one at me, I’m keeping it.” He gave her a wink. 

Allie felt a spark of excitement go down her spine. She couldn’t think of a response, so she just stuck her tongue out at him and smiled. He grinned back and oh if he didn’t have soft pink lips that looked so kissable.

And he probably kisses like a god, she thought hard.

Something about the way Bucky’s cheeks flushed told her that had been one of the thoughts that didn’t just stay in her head. 

“ He’s down at the gym,” Sam said to Bucky in a hard voice.

Bucky raised his eyebrows, looking over her shoulder but said nothing, 

“ See you later,” he said to Allie and left. 

Allie sighed. Ugh. How did she keep fucking this up?

She spent the rest of the day after lunch in her room, looking up ideas for new hobbies on her tablet. Her therapist had suggested she start to do something for herself outside of cooking, but she hadn’t found anything yet that caught her attention, except for a few video games. Could she tell her that building houses in Minecraft and the Sims 3 was a hobby for her? Well, she did promise to try drawing again and see where it lead. She glanced at her sketchbook across the room. There were some half-finished drawings on the pages, including sketches of the construction work still going on across the compound. She could see the frame of the buildings from her window and had made a compilation of the buildings coming together in little graphite snapshots.

Late into the evening, after most of the team had left for the benefit banquet, Allie sunk herself among some blankets on the couch and watched a few Miyazaki films. She was hoping to stave off the brewing headache that was coming on again, but eventually found it was no use. She found some aspirin to pop, drank some water, and settled back down on the couch, falling into a fitful sleep. 

The dream was an old one. She had to finish this dessert to impress the owner of the cafe. The iron-willed woman was due to come back at any moment now and wanted to inspect everything they had worked on that day. Allie was always left with a taste of dark chocolate in her mouth and avoided the ire of the owner by waking up as the sound of her heels clicked across the white tile floor.

Allie sat up with a soft moan and yawned. She grabbed her phone and peered at the time. 

It was one in the morning.

Pushing off the couch, Allie shuffled to the kitchen. She needed to pull the meat out of the freezer for dinner the next night and shove it in the fridge. She was still waking up when something made her pause her steps.  
Had she left the light on in the kitchen? She shuffled down the hallway towards the illuminated area.

She heard grumbling. Someone was in there, bent over in front of the coffee machine. Someone who, in Allie’s still waking mind, had a rather nice butt in grey sweatpants.

“Stupid thing,” he said in a gruff voice, hitting the device before standing up straight. Allie jumped at the noise, then noticed the collection of muscles along his back, and watched as he lifted his dark metallic arm, rubbing the back of his neck. Sweat glistened down his skin, and she listened as he left out an exasperated sigh.

Allie felt her heartbeat quicken, and couldn’t help herself as she muttered, “Oh, fudge,” ever so slightly. 

Bucky turned around.

“ Oh hey, Allie,” he said, a soft blush coming to his face. Why did he blush so much when he looked at her? 

“Hey Bucky,” she said. “ I thought you’d be at the party.”

“Oh, no, I had been in the gym. Just needed some coffee. I’m surprised to see you awake.”

“Oh, I uh...” Allie hesitated. “ I fell asleep in the living room. Just was...coming in here to pull out some food for tomorrow. I didn’t think...anyone would be home for a while.” She suddenly became very aware of her lack of pants and was grateful for the black underwear and long blue shirt she wore. She struggled to not tug on the bottom edge of it, grateful that Thor had left her such a long baggy one to sleep in.

She looked at the coffee machine. “ Um, I can help with that.” She noticed how his eyes dropped to her legs for a moment before looking back at her. She could forgive that if he didn’t notice her glance drift across his pants, eying the slight outline of his cock in the sweatpants.

“Oh, thank you, I was just....yeah, something is up with it,” he tried to laugh it off.

“Well, hitting it probably won’t help,” she said with a smirk. Allie leaned over to work on it, tapping in the right sequence to get it started. She was all too aware of Bucky’s presence next to her, the smell of his cologne mixed with sweat. The machine gave a little chime, and the green light came on. 

“There you go,” she said. 

“Thanks,” he said, an honest smile on his face. There was something else there, too. A hint of sadness in his eyes. She stood up straight, blinking at him, and said, “ Welcome. Should be ready in a bit.”

She went into the pantry and took a moment to breathe deep. They hadn’t spoken much since he saw her in her bath towel, and when he looked at her when they were alone, there was always a slight blush that came to his face. 

Allie opened the freezer, leaning over the edge. There, under some popsicles, were the packs of meat. She tugged them out, pondering if she should mention something to him about it. 

She carried the meat back into the kitchen and found it empty. He had taken his coffee and left. Ah, well.

She tried to keep her promise to Thor, practicing several times a week in the small training room. Her dreams of cooking were being replaced with more nightmares of being locked in the room, unable to help people screaming outside. The fear and frustration brought her to tears nearly every time she woke up.

So she let her mind wander while down in the gym, throwing her practiced punches and kicks at the stuffed targets. It was one of those nights where most of everyone was gone on a mission, gathering intel for some big takedown that would be happening in a few months. Allie had made a simple dinner and went down to her favorite training room.

She lost herself in the music drifting from her phone and was growing a little more confident in her swings. She attempted a kick she had seen Natasha do once when she had brought smoothies into the gym again. How had it gone? She had jumped in the air and swung a kick at one of the target dummies. Allie tried to land, lost her balance, and fell with a hard thud on the practice mat. She got up again and tried. Again, and again. 

“ Shit” she moaned, lying on her back after what felt like the hundredth time. She was sore and annoyed. Frustrated, she slammed her fist on the pad. 

“ You know the best thing to do when you fall down?” a voice said.

She looked up. Bucky stood there, leaning against the doorway, his arms folded across his chest. How long had he watched her?

“ Getting back up?” she muttered.

“ Exactly,” he said.

“ I’d rather just lie here, thank you,” she responded, tossing an arm over her face. Well, this was embarrassing.

“ Would you like me to show you how to do that?”

She looked at him, watching as he entered the room. 

“You have to pivot with it and land on your other foot. Like this.”

With ease he did the kick she had attempted, landing in a standing position as the dummy flew to the far wall of the room. 

She stood up, shaking her head.

“ Don’t worry,” he said. “ You’ll get there.”

She scoffed. “ I doubt it, but thanks.”

She walked to her phone, shutting off the music. “ I think I’m done for now, anyway. My headache is starting to come back.”

“Coming back?” he asked.

“ Yeah, I get them from time to time. It’s been...a bit worse lately, but I figure I’m just adjusting to things still. I just need to rest.” She suddenly remembered Strange telling her to talk to a doctor. Shit, she would need to ask FRIDAY for a reminder for an appointment.

He frowned but didn’t say anything. That didn’t sound too good.

Bucky said, watching her unwrap her hands. “ Goodnight, I guess.”

She paused, having an idea. “ Well, I’m not super tired just yet. Maybe after some hot cocoa. Would you care for some?”

He looked up at her, eyes half-closed. “ Sure.”

In the kitchen, Bucky leaned against the island counter, watching as she moved around the kitchen, grabbing ingredients.

“ You know, I was thinking it was just going to be some hot water and hot chocolate mix,” he said, rubbing his knuckles. Was this a good idea? They were alone together up here, no one else to distract them.

“ I mean, I could,” Allie said, coming out of the pantry with some chocolate bars, marshmallows, cocoa powder, and brown sugar. “ But what fun would that be?”

“ Sure it won’t explode?” Bucky teased. She glanced at him, a smirk on her lips, and stuck her tongue out.

“ No, no,” she said quickly, grabbing milk out the fridge. “ That was...I’m so sorry about that, still.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “ I was just joking. Steve told me you are still trying to learn your powers.”

She grabbed the dark chocolate, peeled it, and chopped it up before adding it to the saucepan. 

“ Thank you,” she said. “ I was...so afraid you would think that was how I always was.”

“ I mean, other than the cake bomb, the food was amazing,” he admitted. He smiled at her. Oh, that smile could melt ice.

“ I wanted to ask something the other day,” she said. “ Why...weren’t you at the benefit?”

Bucky’s smile dropped a bit. “ Well, according to Tony, it may not be such a good idea to go parading me around at the moment. Apparently, there are still plenty of people that don’t agree with my pardon from war crimes even after helping to save the world.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Allie said. Bucky shrugged.

“Honestly, I didn’t want to go anyways. I don't want all that attention.”

She poured some milk into the pan and added the cocoa powder and sugar. 

“Well, at least you can put all of that Hydra stuff behind you now, you know?” Allie attempted, hoping she wasn’t overstepping her bounds.

He looked to the side. “ I...I hope so. I mean...it’s still something that I did. That can’t be looked over.”

She glanced at him from under her lashes. He raised his hand in premature protest. 

“ I know, I know. I wasn’t in control of myself, but...I still wronged a lot of people.” He paused. “ Tony included.” 

Allie looked down at her work. She stirred the chocolate occasionally as it melted, becoming creamier. What could she say to help him feel better at this point? 

“ I’m so sorry for what happened to you,” she said. “ But I’m glad that you can get a new chance now to have your own life.”

“ Enough about me,” he said. “ What about you?”

“Uh...well...,” she hesitated. She grabbed a little silver bowl, adding some corn starch and some more milk, and gave it a few tiny stirs. 

“ My life is kinda weird,” she started and told him quickly about her nomadic childhood, the horrible manic cake, and the events that had happened before her arrival. As she talked she slowly poured the milk into the saucepan, whisking it into the thick chocolate.

It wasn’t until she noticed he had grown silent that she looked up to find him staring at her.

“ What?” she said. “ Is it that strange?”

He shook his head. “ No, not at all.” 

She lifted the silver bowl, adding in the corn starch milk mixture as well.

“ It's just,” he continued. “ Seeing how much you still...smile after everything.”

“ Oh?” she laughed. “ Oh, yeah, I suppose it may be kinda weird. But I just... I dunno...I keep going. I find things to make me happy...I just have to take it one day at a time. I...” she trailed off. She didn’t want to mention the parts of her that she knew were closed off, the parts where the nightmares came from, peeking through late at night when she was alone and vulnerable in her dark mind. 

The drink was ready. She grabbed two mugs and poured the hot chocolate into the cups. She stirred both cups, adding a touch of power. She topped the thick beautiful drinks with a dollop of whipped cream each and sprinkles of cinnamon. She slid the mug across the counter. 

“ Here you go,” she said. “ This should help you sleep.”

He raised his eyebrows. “ What did you do to it?”

“Barely anything,” she said. “ I just added a suggestion of deep sleep and sweet dreams.”

She lifted her drink. He followed suit. 

“ To taking it one day at a time,” he said, raising his mug towards her. They clinked the cups and drank. The hot dark liquid danced on his tongue like a sweet kiss.

“ How do you like it?” she asked.

“ It’s..it’s good,” he said, clutching at his cup. “ It’s so thick and creamy. Thank you.”

“ Oh,” she said. “ I forgot something for mine.”

She grabbed the sea salt shaker, grinding twice over her drink.

“ I love the sweet and salty combination.” She offered him the shaker.   
He shook his head. “ Nah, I’m okay.” He said. She leaned forward, watching him carefully.

“ Oh,” she said, leaning back.

“ What?” he said. 

“ Next time, I’ll add some dried pepper and cinnamon into the milk,” she said.

Bucky looked up.

“ How did you...?”

She bit her lip. “ Sorry, one of my powers,” she admitted. “ You had been craving something sweet and spicy, right? I didn’t think to check until now.”

He chuckled. “ This is more than fine right here, kitten. Thanks.”

Allie snickered into her drink.

“ What?” he said, then caught on. “Oh, kitten? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Allie shook her head quickly. “ No, no, I don’t mind. It just...caught me off guard. It’s fine. You can...you can call me kitten.” She let the word roll slowly off her tongue, stirring the hot chocolate as she spoke. 

I can be your kitten, she thought to herself. She watched his eyebrows raise as he sipped his drink. Oh...had he heard her? She waited for a comment, but he never said anything.

She looked down as she sipped, trying to hide her grin in her chocolate.

“Oh, wait, some whipped cream would be great with this,” she said, grabbing the can out of the fridge. She sprayed a little over hers and held it out. “Want some?”

“ Sure,” he said, taking the can from her. He added spritz the foam out over his mug, before spraying more into his mouth directly. Allie snickered.

“ Ah, I think it’s empty,” he said.

“ Aw, Bucky!” Allie said. “ That was the last can!”

“ I’ll steal yours,” he said, dipping a finger into her drink and swiping some.

“ How dare you!” she said in mock offense.

“ I’ll do it again,” he teased, reaching forward and stealing more of the foam. Allie grabbed his wrist and tugged his hand towards her. Her lips wrapped around his index finger, sucking off the foam before it had a chance to drip. 

“ There we go,” she laughed. “ I win.”

Bucky was still trying to regain control of his mind. He was thankful for the height of the counter as he pressed himself against it, trying to hide his growing erection. 

“ No fair,” he said in a soft voice.

Allie replied with a flick of her tongue.

“ Careful with that tongue, kitten,” he warned. “ Or I’ll have to put it to use.”

She was feeling bold, half sleepy from her drink, a grin playing her lips. She leaned across the counter, eyes half-lidded, and whispered in a dark voice, 

“ Make me.”

They were teasing each other. Just innocent flirting. But it was that voice again, that dark sweet voice like honey dripping off the comb. And he had seen her, unraveling. He knew where that voice came from. She sat back, laughing, taking his silence for shock. 

“Why aren’t you afraid of me?” he asked suddenly. It was jarring, he knew, but he wanted to know.

Allie tilted her head. “ Why? Should I be?”

“ Most people are, a little,” he said, standing up straight.“ But not you. Why is that?”

She looked him over. She had seen how tight his jaw would get when he was upset or annoyed. She looked over his arm, both metal and muscle limbs primed for fighting. He was built for decimation and destruction, physically. He had been molded to it, mind and body. At least his mind was his own again, though. 

“ I guess...because I’ve seen what real monsters look like up close, and you aren’t like them at all. You...you’re kind and thoughtful. Always so careful when you touch anything. I’ve heard you say ‘ma’am’ to some of the ladies before. You don’t...like when you do go somewhere, you don’t demand your presence be acknowledged like Tony does. You just...want to be left alone. I think.”

She frowned. “ I’m sorry, was I babbling?”

He smirked at her. “ No, no...it’s fine...just...”

He bit his lip. He had to tell her...he had to...even if he wasn’t sweet in her eyes anymore.

“ Allie,” he said softly. “ The other night...when I came to your door and you were...in a towel...”

“ Oh, sorry about that,” she said. “ I didn’t mean to be...improper.”

“ No, it’s just that...I...I had come back to ask what you wanted to drink...and...the door wasn’t closed.”

It was Allie’s turn for her smile to drop. Bucky began to regret it, but he had to be honest.

“ I...heard you say my name, and I thought you knew I was at the door, so I walked and saw you...”

Allie gasped, covering her mouth.

“ But I didn’t stay,” he said quickly. “ I left as soon as I realized... what was going on. I closed the door. I didn’t tell anyone.”

Allie stood back from the counter, looking down.

“ Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck,” she said in a soft voice, moving her hand. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

She turned towards the sink. Bucky stood up straight, hoping she wasn’t about to cry. Oh, shit, if he made her cry...

“ I’m really sorry,” he said. “ I haven’t been able to...talk to you about it until now, but I wanted to be honest...”

“ No, no,” she said, turning to face him, dropping her hands, her eyes wet with tears.

“ Well, shit,” she said. What could she say right now? He had caught her in the act. Even heard her say his name...All pretenses were gone now, no pretending. 

“ Um...shit, I’m sorry...I...I mean, that was super embarrassing...but...”

The drinks on the counter were rattling just slightly. She was getting worked up. She had to calm down.

“Don’t be embarrassed. Everyone...does that...” he said. “ I mean...at least it was me and not someone else?”

She laughed. It was a genuine sound, a grin breaking out on her face. She wiped at her tears.

“And I gotta say,” he continued. “It was...super flattering.”

Allie bit her lip, looking up at him. “Really?”

“ Well,” he said. “It’s not every day you get to see a beautiful girl thinking about you.” 

How long had it been since he flirted so hard with a girl? How long had it been since he felt like flirting Allie pushed some of her curls behind her ears and looked at him.

“ I guess...now you know...how I feel about you...” she muttered, looking down at her drink. 

“ The question is,” he said, leaning forward. “ What do we do about it?”

So he was putting the ball in her court. Her heart was pounding, but she was determined to keep herself under control. There were so many things he could think of to say but knew that none of them were right, even if they felt like it.

“ Why don’t we just...see where it goes?” she suggested, lifting her mug.

“ Alright, then,” he responded, clinking his mug against hers.

They chatted some more as they drained their cups until Allie was leaning on her elbows, eyes drooping as she tried to finish a sentence.

“ I think it’s bedtime,” Bucky laughed. Her arm had slipped, and she nearly slammed her head into the table.

He walked her to her room, concerned if she may fall asleep in the hall before even reaching her door. When she lost her footing again, he gently scooped her up and carried her the rest of the way. She looped her arms lazily around his neck, sleepily burying her face against his throat. Something like sweet vanilla filled his nose.

At her door, he let her down, and she whined at having to disengage from him. She reached for her door and turned back towards him.

“ Thank you for the escort,” she said, trying to hide a yawn. “ Night, Bucky.”

“ Night, kitten,” he said gently, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. It was the only touch he allowed himself to do, despite wanting so much more. Alli swayed at the touch, giving a slight moan at the touch. Had Allie added too much sleep to the hot chocolate? She could barely keep her eyes open as she went into her room. She stripped and slid into bed, glancing at the clock on her bedside table. 

4:47 am.

How long had she talked to him? She smiled to herself, sinking into the peaceful sleep that was long overdue.

In his room, Bucky was in bed, trying to mentally brace himself for his nightmares to crop up. Even without the programming, he was still fighting the dark dreams that crawled into his bed late at night and reminded him of the monster he had been. The monster he thought he still might be. Yet, something warm and sweet lurked at the edge of his mind, promising a different experience.

There was a chime. 

You up? Wanna chat? Nat had messaged him. Well aware of his shitty sleep, it was always a toss-up between either Steve or Nat texting him, knowing he would probably still be awake. 

Bucky dialed her up.

“ Hey” Nat’s voice was soft in his ear. “ Figured you were still awake.”

“Yeah, I was in the gym for a bit,” he said. “Just climbed into bed. How’s the mission?”

“ Eh, a lot of wait and see,” Nat admitted. “ Can’t make a move until we can confirm the target.”

“I bet you are hating that,” Buck laughed.

“Oh, I’ve been entertaining myself. Sam and Steve, on the other hand, are climbing the walls,” she remarked. “ How are you holding up?”

“ Ah, well, you know me. A few rough nights, but nothing too bad. I actually, uh, talked to Allie a bit tonight.”

“Oh really?” Nat said in a lighter voice. 

“Yeah, she made us some hot chocolate and we just...kinda chatted. It was nice.”

“I’m surprised she was willing to talk to you alone. Sam said she had been mortified after that cake incident.”

“Nah, she’s a sweet girl,” Bucky said. “ Seems troubled, though.”

“ Between you and me,” Nat said in a lower voice, “ I think she’s rather lonely. With Sam and Wanda out more lately and Thor off-world, she’s been by herself a lot. Kinda like someone else I know.”

Bucky groaned. “ What are you hinting at, Romanoff?”

“I’m just saying,” she muttered. “ You need someone to talk to, she needs someone to talk to. You are there, she is there. Wouldn’t hurt, you know?”

“ Since when do you play matchmaker?” he accused her.

“Not trying to play matchmaker,” she responded. “Just trying to help out a friend.”

There was a pause. It was a heavy silence, filled with past interactions between them that had ranged from comrades to lovers to enemies, settling in the space of two friends who were each trying to move past their red brimmed ledgers. 

“Maybe,” he said. “We did...discuss some...mutual feelings about certain things tonight.”

“See? There could be something there,” Nat pointed out.

“Uh, I’m not trying to force anything. We are just going to...play it by ear,” he admitted. He didn’t want to say he was afraid of what could happen, or what couldn’t happen, or what might. 

“Just...be careful around Sam,” Nat warned. “ I don’t know how he would feel about his sweet little surrogate sister getting involved with someone.”

“ I don’t think she is as sweet and innocent as he thinks,” Bucky said.

“ You aren’t telling me anything new. Just...you know...”

“I get what you mean,” he replied.

They chatted a little longer before Bucky gave an involuntary yawn.

“ Try to get some sleep,” Nat said and hung up.

Bucky leaned back in his bed, still tasting the sweet thick chocolate on his tongue.   
He thought of Allie, her sweet smile and laugh. Down in the gym, when she had thrown the knife and he caught it, she had been genuinely afraid of hurting him. Did she not realize she was surrounded by super soldiers and trained assassins? When she had bounded up to him and retrieved it, her eyes wide with concern, he couldn’t help but make a small joke. And then she had stuck her tongue out and laughed and oh, he was sure his heart had melted. It was the tiniest gesture but from her,half-closed it had meant so much. The way she was so earnest in her actions. Even how she constantly hesitated as though making three and four other options in her mind all at once.   
But there was something under all of that. He’d seen it tonight, and the other night. Even when she told him about her life, he could feel the gaps and skips she had made, the way her head tilted when she thought of something particularly sad. She had demons of her own, he pondered. It was obvious to him, having been trained to detect the minute body language of others. But also....a troubled soul could recognize its kindred. She probably didn’t even realize how much she emoted.  
He wouldn’t rush anything or push her one way or the other. Whatever she wanted, he was okay with that. Friendship...or more. Oh, he hoped for more.

He yawned again and let sleep overtake him. Whatever nightmares had threatened him that night were muted under a dark warm blanket, and for the first time in a long time, Bucky slept hard and deep.


	10. Breakfast Nachos and Laws of Attraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit long. Contains sexual content, drinking, discussions of consent, etc

“ How does it look?” Allie asked, her eyes still squeezed close.

“ You look kinda like...a creepy doll,” Wanda said with a giggle. 

Allie opened her eyes and stared in the mirror. She was met by the sight of a large mass of bouncing blonde curls. She snickered, pulling at them.

“ Well, shit,” she said, leaning forward. “ The second bleaching took well. Glad I had that toner to take out some of the gold. Maybe I should stay with this?”

Wanda laughed harder, shaking her head.

“ Nah, this is... I’m not pulling this off at all,” Allie said, smiling at her strange reflection.

It was late at night, and neither of them could sleep. Which, inevitably, lead to an impromptu hair coloring session. They were in Allie’s bathroom, Allie sitting in front of the mirror while Wanda worked at her hair. They had bleached it the night before and were determined to finish the process tonight. 

“ Ready for the next part?” Wanda said, pulling on a new set of gloves. She had the bottle of pink dye floating aloft in the air as she grabbed a wide brush applicator.

Allie nodded.

“ So...why pink?” Wanda asked as she started to part Allie’s hair. 

“ Uh, well...it was a bit ‘in the moment’ decision. I had wanted to color my hair for ages and never had been able to before. I figured, why not try it now? I bought the supplies ages ago, but chickened out.”

“ I hope it’s still good,” Wanda commented.

“ Should be,” Allie said, trying not to squirm. “Either way, it will be nice to have a change.” 

Allie couldn't deny how monotonous her life had become, only because she wasn’t accustomed to having so much free time to herself. It had always been cleaning, working, sleeping, a half-hour here or there to herself, then back to being busy. Here, after work, she had both time and money to do things...she was just still learning how to use it for herself. half-hour here or there to herself, then back to being busy. Here, after work, she had both time and money to do things...she was just still learning how to use it for herself. 

And what did she want for herself? Well, a lot of things, but the first start would be her hair. 

“ So, how is Vision adjusting to life back at the compound?” she asked.

“ Well,” Wanda said softly. “ He’s been pretty okay. Mostly down in the laboratory with Tony and Bruce.”

“Is he...going on missions at all?”

“ Not yet. We are...still deciding about that.”

“ What do you mean?” Allie asked.

“ Well, he doesn’t mind being a consultant here and there, but as for going out into the field...he doesn’t seem to want to leave just yet. I suspect...well, I think I know why.”

“Oh?” Allie tilted her head, then quickly readjusted upon realizing Wanda was still working on that section of hair. 

“ Well, before Thanos, he and I had discussed running away together...and just being together. You know, a real relationship without missions and fighting. I think he still wants to do it. But I know he doesn’t want to disappoint Tony.”

“ And you?” Allie asked.

Wanda paused in parting her hair.

“ I...honestly, I’ve thought about it myself as well. I mean, I’m still training with Strange to learn to control my powers and see what all I am capable of, but after the issues with the Accords the first time, and almost losing Vis...well, I wouldn’t mind stepping back sometimes.”

Allie nodded carefully. ‘ I understand. It’s interesting. Vision doesn’t want to go back in the field, and Bucky can’t wait to get back out there.”

“ How has it been between you two?” Wanda asked.

“ Uh, normal, I guess? When we can see each other. Just talking, some midnight snacks and stuff.”

“ And he hasn’t tried to make a move?”

Allie looked down at her hands. 

“ I think he is trying to...play it cool? I’m not sure. I’ve been thinking about...trying to be a bit more forward, but I don’t want to rush anything, you know?”

Wanda was quiet for a moment as she brushed the dye throughout her hair, the coloring so deep it was almost red. 

“ Why don’t you sit next to him at Movie Night. See what happens?” she finally replied. 

Allie looked at her in the mirror’s reflection. 

“ Yeah...I suppose I could.”

Afterward, with her hair saturated and tucked under a plastic cap, Allie propped herself up on the couch in the living room. She was only going to leave the dye on for a few hours, wash it out, and braid her hair back until she got up for breakfast. She tugged a blanket around her, glancing occasionally at the doorway with ideas of Bucky walking through it, up late and wanting to chat. Eventually, she drifted off to sleep. 

She was dreaming of a hot kitchen, loud and filled with a cacophony of music and conversation. The scent of spices was heavy in the air from several pots and pans, all filled with something either boiling or frying. Bodies moved all around, people yelling orders and bringing dishes to and from the front of the building, which was visible through a wide-open window in the wall. Allie blinked up at the vibrant yellow and orange flowers that decorated the top border of the kitchen, both tacky and endearing in the already bright kitchen. 

She was preparing the green chile for the enchiladas she was about to start making. Behind her, she heard a light voice singing along to the music. She knew the language, the words that soared above the other sounds because that voice was from someone she loved. She heard a name, muttered, her name but not her name, and turned to face the woman. She walked up to Allie, dark eyes with long beautiful lashes, and offered a piece of meat from her pan. It was spiced lamb, and oh, it was divine. Allie complimented her, with the same clumsy tone she always did, and the woman gave a wide happy laugh.

“Allie” she heard her name called. Her real name. 

Allie turned to see Wanda standing there, looking around the kitchen.

“ What a...vibrant dream,” she muttered, looking around. She looked at Allie. 

“ Uh...Allie?” she asked. “ Why are you a...guy?”

Allie snapped awake. 

Wanda was kneeling next to her, fingers hovered over her head. 

“ What the hell?” she asked, confused.

“ Sorry, you just weren’t responding when we tried to wake you. Then you started speaking Spanish real loud, so I...went to investigate. Do you always have dreams that vivid?”

“Only sometimes,” she said, sitting up. “ Shit, what time is it? I need to prep food for the day...” She hard the crinkle of plastic in her ear. The plastic cap was still snuggly on her head.

“Wait, shit, I still need to wash out my hair!”

***************************

“Bucky, wait up,” Steve called after his friend as he stormed away from the meeting room.

The former assassin had his fists clenched tight, and wanted to just head down to the gym and work out, or possibly break something, but he slowed down for Steve to catch up. 

“Just how long am I supposed to be grounded?” Bucky grumbled as he fell in step next to him.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “ I thought you’d be able to go out this time around. But these are the first few missions since the compromise. Just...give it time, okay?”

“ It’s bullshit and you know it,” he said to Steve, trying to keep his voice even. “ Stark doesn’t want me going out because he thinks somehow it will damage his reputation. Or it’s just him being vindictive.”

“ Look, Buck, we got the Accords appealed, but it’s a tentative agreement at best and is only allowed because of us saving the damn universe.”

“ So we still have to answer to them?”

“ We don’t have to answer to them directly, but some of the missions have to have their input. At least for right now.”

Bucky scoffed. “ Steve, please. You know as well as I do that they are going to try to make mercenaries out of us sooner or later.”

Steve grabbed his arm, stopping him.

“ Trust me,” he said softly. “ I know exactly what can come of this. That’s why I’m determined to not let it happen. We work with them, not under them. Now, as soon as a mission that is...off the books comes up, or this waiting period ends, I’ll make damn sure you're out there with me, okay?”

Bucky sighed, running his hand through his hair.   
“ Alright,” he agreed. “ You’re right. I guess I’m just getting a little...stir crazy here all the time. I want to do more.”

Steve smirked at him. “ Funny how this conversation went almost 100 years ago, right?”

Bucky wagged a finger at him. “ Hey, now. That was different. Sorta.”

They laughed. Steve grasped his shoulder. 

“ Come on, let’s get some breakfast.”

****

Bucky and Steve smelled something drifting from the kitchen before they reached the lounge area. Wanda was washing vegetables at the sink, red ribbons pulling them over to the counter where Allie was carefully slicing them. Vision was stirring something in a skillet at the stove, occasionally asking Allie when to add what seasoning to the mixture. 

“What’s going on here?” Steve asked as they walked in. “ It smells amazing.”

Allie looked up, and her face broke into a wide smile. Her hair was tucked under a lavender bandana, and she wore a sunflower print dress that flared out at the bottom, the style similar to something he hadn’t seen in decades.

“ Althaea was just instructing me on how to make huevos rancheros nachos,” Vision said.

“ Althaea?” Bucky asked.

“ Allie, Vision,” Allie said with a smile. “ Al, even, if you want. And the recipe is a bit of an amalgam of different recipes. I didn’t have all the ingredients I needed, like chorizo, so I’m just using chicken.”

“ Yes, sorry, Allie. Oh, and she was analyzing what my parentage is.”

“Your parentage?” Bucky said, watching Allie chopped more onions and peppers. He and Steve were pulling down cups from the cabinet for coffee.

Allie looked down, feeling her cheeks grow warm. 

“ Well, Vision was telling me about how he came to be. So I was...putting it into human understanding. It’s...silly...sorry...”

“ No, I want to hear it,” Steve asked.

“ Okay, so, it’s like Ultron made the body, Tony and Bruce put in the mind, but Thor powered the spirit. So Tony and Bruce are kinda like the parents and Thor is like his brother or something?”

“ I find it interesting how she has attempted to classify my creation in such a manner. Though your baking analogy also works. She says Ultron brought the ingredients, Tony and Bruce arranged the recipe, and Thor...how did you say? Turned on the oven?”

The kitchen erupted into light laughter. 

Allie put some black beans in the skillet with some lime while Wanda watched over Vision as he continued to work on the salsa.

“ So what made you want to have breakfast like this?” Steve asked.

“Oh, I just...had the idea from a dream,” she said. “Sometimes...I dream about working in different restaurants, and wake up with a taste for the food.”

She was putting tortilla chips in a pan, prepping to put it in the oven. 

Steve frowned. “ Is that from your powers or something?”

Allie shrugged. “ Not sure. It happens sometimes. I’ve watched so many cooking shows growing up I’m not surprised. “

She stood up straight. 

“ Oh, and guess what? A few more of my dresses arrived this morning! I don’t know why the others are taking so long, but I got some, including this one! And look!” she said, sliding her hands into two hidden folds of fabric on the front. “ It has pockets!”

“Is that a special thing?” Steve asked.

Vision spoke, “ Apparent in modern fashion marketed to women, pockets are often made undersized or are nonexistent, so the presence of a decent-sized pocket is something to celebrate.”

Bucky’s eyes traveled over her dress as she touched it, not so much admiring the beautiful print as he was the way it wrapped around her body. 

“ I think it looks lovely on you,” he said without thinking. She turned to him, smiling widely. 

“ You think so?” she said, twirling back and forth. “ I was looking for a sort of retro 1950s style. I have some more rockabilly dresses coming later, but this was the first to arrive.” The edge of the dress flittered up, revealing layers of yellow tulle beneath it, and giving him a better look at her long brown legs.

“ Oh, and I did something else,” she said, pulling her bandana free. Though braided back in two thick plaits her hair was unmistakably bubblegum pink.

“What do you think?” She said, looking at them.

“ It looks...vibrant,” Steve said.

“It’s very...you,” Bucky commented.

Allie laughed. 

“ Thank you,” she said. “ I mean, I can wear wigs if I need to, but...I’ve wanted to do this for a while.”

“ I think the salsa’s done,” Vision said, taking the skillet from the heat. Allie went to assist him and Wanda in arranging things on the tray of chips. Bucky watched her as he sipped his coffee, a small smile on the edge of his lips.

Steve looked at him, nudging him in the side.

“ What?” he whispered.

“ You’re staring,” Steve warned, sipping his coffee.

“ What? No, I was just...” Admiring? He had been so careful with her, not wanting to be too aggressive, but he couldn’t deny how she appealed to him. She was soft and sweet, and not typically like most women he had been with before. Something about her was just...but he didn’t want to push it. He didn’t want to push her. 

He was still watching her as she adjusted the music on her phone, turning the volume up. 

“ Steve, do you and Bucky want to stay for the nachos? If not, I have some smoothies prepped in the fridge.”

“ Oh, well, we were going to the gym,” he started.

“ But we can stay for the food,” Bucky responded. “ If that’s okay.” He looked at Steve, giving him a wink.

“ Morning,” said Sam, walking into the area. He spotted Steve and Bucky. “ Ah, this is where you’ve been.”

“ We’re just sticking around for some breakfast nachos,” Steve said. 

Allie smiled at Sam. “ You should have some,” she said. She had started doing a little step, her flat shoes tapping rhythmically on the floor.

“ You’re in a good mood,” Sam laughed. “ And so...pink.”

She tugged on his hand, and he joined her in the little swing step.

“ My dresses start to come in, I’ve been learning magic, I’m surrounded by friends, and I got to do my hair how I want. What is there not to be happy about?” she said. “ And I watched Swing Time and Stormy Weather last night.”

“ Swing Time?” Bucky asked. “ Like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers?”

“ Oh, yeah!” Allie said as Sam spun her around.

Steve looked at him. “ You know musicals?”

Bucky shrugged. “ I dated a girl who was into them,” Bucky said. “ Begged me to take her to all the old pictures.”

“ I suppose you must have indulged her,” Steve joked.

“ What can I say? It’s hard for me to say no to a pretty girl.”  
His eyes flitted to Allie, who was laughing as Sam spun her around. Wanda and Vision had joined in the fun, swaying back and forth. 

“ Where did you learn to dance?” Sam asked.

“ The internet,” she said. “ And some old movies. We lived with an old woman at one point that loved old musicals. Especially anything with Cab Calloway in it.”

They stumbled through a step, Allie nearly tripping Sam. They caught each other, laughing. “ Well, I’m not that good,” she added.

The timer went off. Allie walked over to the oven. 

“ When do we take off?” Sam said, walking over to Steve, grabbing a mug.

“ Uh, Tuesday,” he said, handing him the coffee. “Nat is gonna meet us there after she and Tony finish in Berlin.”

“ How long do you think it will take?”

“ Uh, about two weeks?” Steve guessed. “ We are going to have to split up the surveillance to cover all points. If we are successful, though, this is going to be a huge blow against these guys.”

Sam looked at Bucky, raising his cup. “ Here's hoping you can join us in the field soon,” he said. 

“ Same,” Bucky agreed.

Allie sliced a few avocado chunks, setting them beside the nachos.

“ Food’s ready,” she said, looking at them. “ Y’all want me to fix you a plate?”

“ We can get our own,” Sam said.

“What about you, Bucky?” Allie said in a lower voice.

Sam nearly choked on his coffee as Bucky answered, “ Nah, I got it.” He walked over to join her and the others. 

“ What. The. Hell.” Sam said slowly to Steve. 

“ What do you mean?” Steve tried to feign ignorance, but it was no use. Bucky scooped the nachos on his plate, while Allie said something to him, and they shared a laugh. 

Sam didn’t immediately answer, watching the two of them. 

“ How long has that been going on?” he asked.

“ I...I mean, it’s harmless, Sam,” Steve said, watching the two of them.

“ Mmhmm,” Sam said in disbelief, setting his coffee down. 

Allie couldn’t stop smiling. Bucky rested a hand on her waist as he moved past her to grab some avocado. She passed him the spoon for the sour cream. 

“ Thanks,” he said, smiling down at her. “And thank you for the hot chocolate the other night.”

“ Did it help?” she asked. 

He nodded. “ I slept great.”

“ You know, if the nightmares are too bad, maybe Wanda could help you,” she asked. 

“ Oh, but then I wouldn’t have an excuse to have hot chocolate with you?” he said in a soft voice.

Allie looked at him, braving meeting his eyes. “ I’ll have hot chocolate with you any time you want.” She kept her voice low and husky. “ Any way you want it.”

Bucky raised his eyebrows, biting his lip. 

“ Is that so?” he said back in a breathless voice. 

“ Allie!” Sam called out. She startled, meeting his eyes. 

“ Where is the sugar?” he asked, shaking the near-empty container.

“ Oh!” Allie said, sliding away from Bucky. “ It’s in the pantry. I’ll grab it for you.”

The spell was broken. They had breakfast and went about their lives for the day. Allie worked in the kitchen and drifted away in the evening to spend time do some sketches and hang out with Wanda and Vision. Bucky trained with Steve, then helped him go over his plans for the upcoming mission. Even if Bucky couldn’t leave himself, he could still help his best friend plot and strategize.

Movie night came up quicker than Allie expected, but she did plan to follow Wanda’s advice.

Carrying in two bowls of popcorn, she saw her opportunity as Sam moved to sit between Steve and Nat on one of the couches, leaving a space for her between Vision and Wanda on another couch. They were already talking about more movie nights with a larger crowd, wanting to include some of the recruits and using the cinema room, but they would still have nights like this, where it was just their core group. Allie felt like a bit of an outsider as she sat down. She wasn’t a recruit, technically. She was just a friend of Sam’s. She was just their cook...

“Hey,” Wanda said, touching her arm. “ Your hair looks amazing.”

Allie gave a small smile, tugging at a curl. It was unbraided, a mass of curls in shades of soft corals and rose. She was settling on the couch, pulling a large thick blanket across her lap, when footsteps echoed in the doorway. Bucky walked in with another bowl of popcorn in his hands and looked around.  
“ Oh, we can make room,” Wanda chimed up before anyone spoke and shifted to the other side of Allie.   
Bucky looked at the woman, and Allie tugged her blanket back, making room for him. He gave her a little goofy smile as he settled on the couch next to her.

Allie could already feel Sam’s eyes on them and did her best not to look at him. The room darkened. The movie started. It was a horror science fiction, and though Allie had said she would be okay with it, it didn’t take long for her to have the blanket pulled up to her chin, nervous fear creeping in.

20 minutes later, when everyone’s mind was lost in the plot of the movie, Allie shifted underneath the blanket just slightly, her knee resting against Bucky’s. He didn’t move his. She swallowed thickly, reaching under the covers with careful fingers to touch his thigh. Wait, was that too forward? Did he still have some 1940s sensibilities or something? She would just leave it there for a like a few seconds, play it off as an accident, and then...

Cool metal fingers rested over hers. She braved a glance at him out the corner of her eyes. He had the slightest of smiles on his face. 

A jumpscare flashed on the screen.

Allie nearly dropped the bowl of popcorn out of her lap. There were a few snickers around the room. Nerves got the better of her, and she spent the rest of the movie with both hands on the popcorn bowl, eyes dead ahead. 

The next few days were spent with the compound all abuzz. This wasn’t to be the final strike against this organization, but the largest to date. Allie was used to everyone training, studying, or otherwise getting up to superhero business, but this was a massive amount of activity.   
Sam seemed to be intent on her still training and somehow found time to teach her new moves down in the gym. She was getting over her nervousness around the others now, willing to let Sam teach her in the larger gym. She was memorizing movements and learning how to fight with the knives he had given her. 

“ Good,” he said as she learned to successfully block a swing from him. “ Now, this time, be ready to move when I do. I’m going to telegraph my movement a little more than usual, but I want you to get used to looking for tells like this.”

Bucky was overseeing two recruits sparring in the ring. They were taking a break, the two of them resting on the ropes for a second, drinking water. They were lean boys, with roguish tough guy attitudes. One was slung backward over the ropes, a proud pouty look on his face. The other was leaning forward, gold blonde hair cropped short. 

“ Hey, is that the girl that works in the kitchen upstairs?” he asked, looking over at Sam and Allie. 

“ Uh, yeah,” the other answered, craning his neck to get a better look. “ All bubblegum pink.”

The blonde recruit gave a foolish grin. “ Funny seeing her in here without a basket in her hand. What is she going to do? Fight a meatloaf?”

“ Imagine her on a mission,” the other whispered harshly.

“Bet you it’s the most exercise she’s gotten in ages,” the other said with a low snicker.

“At least she’s got a pair of legs on her,” the other responded.

“Hey,” Bucky barked in a hard tone. The two turned to look at him.

“ What do you say we go a few rounds?” he offered, a dark glint in his eyes.

Less than an hour later, the two recruits were being helped down to the infirmary.

“ Not sure what happened,” Bucky said, hand on his jaw. “ Arm must be on the fritz or something. Kept swinging harder than I meant to.”

Nat squinted her eyes at him, folding her arms. 

“ Uh-huh.” She said in a tone that told him she did not believe a word he said. 

“Honestly, it was an accident.” He shrugged as he pulled off his gloves. 

“ Well, you better go get your arm checked out before Stark hears about how your accident broke the nose and jaw of two of his best recruits,” she warned. “Even if they are assholes.”

Bucky raised his eyebrows and turned to leave the room. Allie had left the gym a half hour ago, but he was still burning from the comments of those two jokers. He should have known better than to let his anger get the best of him, but being pent up at the compound wasn’t helping in the least bit. Who the fuck did they even think they were to say that shit?

Bucky decided against going into the infirmary, opting instead to go to his bedroom to cool off. He needed a nice hot shower and a nap. 

He did need to watch his anger, though. That could have gone south real fast if he had lost control. Why was he so worked up, anyway? Some snide comments from a couple of fatheads shouldn’t have set him off so much. But they were about Allie, who had done nothing wrong to them and they jeered at her for trying.

A cool shower and a new change of clothes later, and Bucky decided to make an appearance in the lab might be a good idea after all. If he wanted to get into the field and be of some use, he needed to play the role of a good little soldier for Stark and the government agents he was often meeting with. 

Allie was sitting on the edge of the table, her legs swinging with nervous energy. There were several people around her in lab coats, attaching sensors and monitors to her arms and head.

“ Are you sure about this?” Sam asked for the third time. 

“ I don’t mind,” Allie answered. “ Serious, Sam. I’m fine. It’s a few experiments. Whatever helps. I...I trust Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark. And Vis is here. ” She gestured over to the men nearby. 

Allie was in a golden yellow dress and black leggings, her flats a fiery orange-yellow color. Her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. Several strands framing her face.

Bucky walked cautiously into the lab, concerned.

“ What’s going on?” he asked, trying to feign basic curiosity. 

Allie’s eyes met his. There was a moment before a bright smile broke across her features, where he saw a bit of the real her, the part of her that was scared.

Sam looked over at him.

“ Oh, hey Bucky,” he said. “ Dr. Strange asked Tony if he could do a few experiments on Allie to examine her powers more thoroughly.”

“ Now, now,” Tony said, walking over to them. “ Don’t make it sound like she’s a lab rat. We are just going to see if we can track how her powers work and if they emit anything. Nothing against you, Allie, but combustible confectionary could be the beginning of some problems if we don’t try to see how things work.”

“ I thought Dr. Strange said I’d be okay with just some...meditation and stuff?”

Tony gave a small smirk. “ Well, nothing wrong with some hard science thrown in there, right?”

She sighed and nodded.

Tony’s eyes fell on Bucky.

“ And what are you doing here? Your arm isn’t due for routine maintenance for another few weeks, right?”

“ Ah, well,” Bucky said, flexing his metallic fingers. “ had an incident in the gym earlier. Just wanted to make sure everything was working fine.”

Sam raised his eyebrows. “ Incident?”

“ Well, sit down and wait your turn to get on the wheel,” Tony said, pointing to some chairs on the wall. “ Allie’s first up.”

He smiled at her, giving her a wink. Allie giggled, some of the fear rolling off her shoulders. Bucky and Sam sat near each other as Allie was lead to a white table covered in different cooking implements, including a frying pan and a portable burner.

“ We are gonna make this simple,” Tony said, stepping behind some equipment. “We will start with a fried egg.”

“ Do you...want it scrambled or something?” Allie asked, reaching for the carton next to her. 

“ However you want to make it,” Tony said. “ Just... uh...we want to start with a positive emotion?” he was looking at Banner as he spoke. 

The man nodded. “ May as well.”

“ Happy,” Allie said, turning on the burner. After a moment, she started humming as she worked, melting butter in the pan, cracking the eggs, adding salt and pepper, and grabbing the spatula. She thought of nights watching Thor play video games, singing in the car with Sam on a night drive, showing ridiculous movies to Wanda and Vision as the android was puzzled by the strange antics...A grin spread across her face as she scrambled the eggs. When had she been this happy with people before? Before, the moments had been rare and varied, and she had to pull on thoughts of other things, other concepts that weren’t hers. But now, she had her own to use. Real solid happy moments. 

Her name was being called.

Allie was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of beeping equipment and looked up to see the two scientists with their faces glued to their machinery.

“ Is that okay?” she asked innocently, plating the eggs.

“ Yes, that was good,” Tony said, looking up. 

Bruce reached out for the plate of food. Carefully, he took a bite of the food.

“ Hmm...It’s good,” he remarked. ‘ Very warm and savory...” A smile spread across his face.

Tony frowned at him. “ What is it?”

Bruce looked up. “ It’s...happiness.”

“ But now,” Banner added, setting the plate down and pressing a few keys. “ I want you to make eggs again. But this time...put anger into them.”

Allie frowned. “ Anger? Really?”

“ We need to see some of the extremes that are possible,” Banner remarked.

Allie grabbed the carton again. She never put anger into food before. At least, not on purpose. Maybe some frustration had gotten mixed into something, but...hmmm.

“ Okay,” she nodded and started the process again.

She had been angry several times in her life, but she couldn't deny that there was one person she still had some animosity over, though she felt guilty admitting it.

She whipped the egg yolks and thought about her Uncle.

He had...always said he was protecting her, but...he had always been so...condescending. He wouldn’t let her have many friends, he would make her work late, use her powers for his benefit. He wouldn’t train her in magic. He was nearly impossible to get a compliment from.

“ Okay,” she said, handing over the eggs. 

Tony and Bruce looked at each other. 

“ Allie,” Vision spoke up, staring at a screen. “ Can you do that again? But this time...really get angry. It’s okay...just...go for it.”

She looked at them, confused.

“ We think we can get a better reading if you do,” Bruce said, eyes still glued to the screens of the machinery.

She sighed and nodded. Another egg in the pan.   
There was one thought that was a well of raw rage for her, something she hadn’t dwelled on in a long time.

There was a culinary school she wanted to attend. She had even applied and secretly snuck out to tour the school and speak with an advisor. She found scholarships to apply to and impressed some people who had been offering to pay for part of it if she had won this competition. She entered and didn’t even use her powers to compete. She was determined to succeed, to stop being an adult living with her uncle and under his thumb. She watched the mail religiously but never heard back from them. She gave up, then, and went on about her life. Then a few months later, she had found a letter with her name on it buried in her Uncle’s recipes. It had been from the culinary school. She had been accepted and awarded a full scholarship. It wasn’t even the first letter. It had been one of several of them trying to get into contact with her before the offer was done. It was much too late now, she was on the other side of the country, and had no money to relocate. She had confronted her Uncle, and he berated her and talked her down until she finally succumbed to his words, and accepted his words that she wasn’t good enough to go, she would fuck up, etc.

There was the sound of beeping machinery. Someone was calling her name, saying, “ That was good, you can stop...” But it was distant as she allowed the heavy memories to invade her mind.

But she had been good enough. She had wanted to be free of her Uncle and had had a chance and he took it from her and couldn’t even fucking tell her why. Just obey orders. Be the good little kitchen witch, no friends, no other family to be around, alone and slaving away for an asshole that didn’t think she was worth anything in or out of the kitchen. Her grip on the spatula tightened as the anxious angry thoughts boiled. The eggs were blackening in the pan, despite the heat still being low. 

That. Fucking. Bastard.

Heat, sudden and bright, filled Allie’s senses. Flames engulfed the hot plate, consuming the skillet and its contents. Allie gave a small shriek and fell back. 

Bucky and Sam were there in an instant, helping her to her feet.   
Banner had grabbed a fire extinguisher, and he and Tony were fighting furiously to put the fire out.

They exited, going out into the hallway. Once out of the lab, Allie slid down against the wall. 

“ You okay?” Sam asked, checking her all over. 

“ I’m okay,” she protested. But was she? She looked over her hands. There were scorch marks on her sleeves, but that was it. Her skin was fine.

She looked up at Sam.

“ Sorry,” she said automatically, her voice small.

“ Hey, hey,” he said, stroking her hair. “ It’s fine. You’re fine. It was an experiment, remember?”

Tony and Bruce came out into the hallway, coughing.

“ Alright,” Bruce said. “As far as...first tests go, that was pretty good, right?”

Tony looked at her. “ She almost burned down the lab.”

“ Well, we wanted her to get angry,” he said.

Vision walked out into the hallway, fanning away the smoke from his face.

“ The fire is out,” he said flatly. “ Though...we will need another skillet.”

“ I think that’s enough for today,” Sam said, helping Allie to her feet. 

The scientists agreed as he led Allie away. Bucky hesitated to follow, not sure.

“ Let’s look at that arm, Barnes,” Tony said in an annoyed tone. “ We can use Cho’s lab while mine airs out.”

Bucky followed the men silently. 

When he next saw Allie, was curled up in an alcove in the lounge area, a laptop balanced on her thighs. Sam was sitting in a chair across from her, staring at his tablet. His body looked tense, and he kept glancing up at Allie, but she hadn’t shifted, eyes glued to the screen. She was concentrating on whatever it was, occasionally frowning. 

He didn’t dare walk over, thinking back to Natasha’s words. Sam was tense, his jaw tight, and one of his hands was tapping silently on the armrest of the chair. He was on high alert at the moment, and it was definitely over Allie. 

Bucky moved silently away. Maybe he would text her later. 

Allie looked up, but the ex-assassin was already gone, slipped down the hallway. Her eyes landed on Sam.

“ Shouldn’t you be getting ready to leave? You only have a few days left,” she said softly.

“ Already packed,” Sam said quickly, his thumb moving across his cell phone screen. 

“Well,” Allie said softly. “ Since you are here, I thought I’d ask you about some stuff.”

“ Like what?” Sam said.

“ I just...I can’t seem to remember your favorite color,” she asked.

“ You know that. It’s blue,” he remarked, still looking at his phone.

“ Oh yeah,” she remarked. “ Just like chocolate is your favorite flavor, right?”

Sam looked at her, squinting.

“ If I didn’t know any better, I would swear you were planning for my birthday.”

Allie didn’t look up from her laptop. She knew she wouldn’t be able to look him in the eyes and not falter her words.

“ You better not be planning me a surprise party,” Sam warned, though there was humor in his voice.

“ I don’t know what you are talking about,” Allie replied.

Sunday night, the weekend before everyone was to leave for multiple missions, Allie was standing in one of the smaller conference rooms smiling broadly at a frowning Sam.

“ You said I better not be planning a party. You didn’t say anything about me helping someone else. Technically, Steve and Nat planned this,” Allie justified, rocking back and forth on her heels. She was dressed in a deep blue blouse and skirt set, her hair tugged back in two ponytails. Sam was in a white shirt and black pants, smirking at her. 

It was a small gathering of people. There were drinks and food piled on a table, a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting sitting in the center of the display. Sam was biting at his slice of cake, a candle laying on his paper plate.

“ I would fuss,” he said. “ But this cake is too good.” He took another bite.

“ Well, you are going off on this big old trip during your birthday. We just wanted to make sure it wouldn’t be looked over,” Allie said. 

“ Wait, are you saying it was your idea?” Sam pointed out.

Allie smiled at him. “Not completely.”

Nat came by, drinks in hand. 

“ How’s this?” she asked Allie, handing her the cup. Allie sipped it slowly. 

“ Oh, okay, I like this much better,” Allie said, staring down into her new drink. “ I don’t like the taste of alcohol.”

“ Be careful with having Nat as your bartender,” Sam laughed. “ You won’t taste the alcohol, but you may get knocked on your ass.”

Allie drank more from the cup, the citrus and strawberry flavors blotting out most of the alcohol, with only a little burn at the bottom.

“ Oh, she’ll be fine,” Nat said. “ Just as long as she doesn’t drink from Steve or Bucky’s cups. They have some of the stuff Thor left behind.” 

Allie looked up. “ Bucky’s here?” she asked innocently. Nat pointed to the far side of the room. Bucky and Steve were at a table, talking to Wanda. Sam and Nat walked over.

“ There’s the birthday boy,” Steve said, raising his cup. 

Bucky’s eyes slid over to Allie, who looked away shyly from him, sipping from her cup.

“ I hope he didn’t hound you too much,” Steve said to Allie.

“ No, no,” she said. “ I wouldn’t care if he did. I wanted to help.”

“ I told you I didn’t want anything too big,” Sam said.

Steve looked around. “ I mean, this is still pretty small, by Tony’s standards.”

Sam looked around. “ Where is that man? He never passes up an opportunity to pat himself on the back.”

“He’s with Mrs. Stark,” Nat said. “ Some much-needed family time with her and the munchkin.”

“ You know, he has been absent a lot more lately,” Sam pointed out.

Sam nodded and took another drink. Allie slid her cup onto the table as the conversation drifted around the table. 

“ How are you holding up?” Bucky said to her.

“ I’m...a little overwhelmed,” she admitted, “ but I need to learn how to be around people more, so I’m not going to leave just yet.”

He tilted his head at her. He was dressed in a dark button-down top and black pants, and his hair was brushed back into a tight ponytail.

“ Well, if you want to cut out early, let me know. We could slip away for some...hot chocolate if you are up to that.”

Allie thought of how the word chocolate rolled off his tongue, weighted by other meanings. 

“ Yeah, I’d like that,” she said, picking her cup up. She took a long drink, and nearly spat it back out. Was it stronger than she remembered? She swallowed, feeling the burn shoot down her throat.

“ Whoa, Nat, that’s...gotten strong,” she said, looking at Natasha.

Nat glanced over at her, and her eyes went wide.

“ Oh, shit, Allie, that wasn’t your drink,” she said, taking the cup from her. “ How much did you drink from that?” 

“ Just a...gulp?” Allie said, spying her actual cup a few inches away, her purple lipstick evident on the side.

She looked at the drink in Nat’s hand.

“ Fuck,” Bucky muttered, taking the cup from Nat. “ I think that was mine.”

“You let her drink Asgardian liquor?” Sam said.

“ I didn’t let her,” he responded harshly. “ It was an accident.”

“ Allie, you feel alright?” 

She shrugged, the warmth pooling in her. “ I mean...I’m okay right now,” she said.

Eventually, the potent spirit caught up with her. Allie was tangled with Wanda, spinning around under the blue and white lights on the dance floor. All intentions of leaving early were forgotten under the hot lights. She wanted to dance. She wanted to spin, to be happy, to kiss, to love...

She glanced over her shoulder, head was thrown back in laughter as she looked over at Bucky. 

He was in a corner with Steve and Clint, eyes glued to her face. He had felt guilty for her accidentally drinking from his cup, but he was even more entertained by how she had started to unravel happily after it. Her ponytails were gone, replaced by a mass of rosy curls. Wanda had a hand on her shoulder and another around her waist, spinning her around on the dance floor. He felt a little envy grow inside him. They looked beautiful together, all reds and blues blurred together. When she turned to look at him, lips slightly parted, he leaned forward, sipping more at the drink in hand. She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, looking at him with half-lidded eyes. She smirked at him, and just a little of her spice came out. 

The night was winding down, and only a few of them were left. Allie, pleasantly warm in her drunken state, was leaning against Sam as he talked to Steve. She heard discussions of the mission, talk of heading to bed early, of breakfast, and other silly things. Sam’s arm was looped over her shoulders, and she was vaguely aware of him thanking her for the party in a happy whisper.

Nat was first to leave for bed, and if Allie had been paying more attention she would have seen the way she looked at Sam as she walked through the door. Sam kissed Allie’s cheek and excused himself, thanking everyone for the celebration.

Her eyes flitted over to Bucky. He was next to Steve, arms hanging over the back of the couch as he talked to Nat in a low voice. He looked over to her as he raised his glass, drinking the last of the golden liquor. Allie bit her lip. Bucky, catching her glance, gave her a wink.

Allie giggled drunkenly and leaned the other way, slumping into Wanda’s lap. New warmth. The woman barely paused in her conversation with Vision, stroking Allie’s hair absentmindedly as she rested across her thighs. In her other hand, she let ribbons of red dance around her fingers. Allie watched them in fascination, wiggling her digits over Wanda’s. How did she do that? That strange beautiful magic that was coursing through her body and in her mind and watched how it twisted and morphed. Allie loved the way it felt on her fingers, a soft touch like gossamer that was barely detected. Wanda was dangling her powers like yarn for an excited kitten.

Allie arched her left hand over Wanda’s glowing digits, lulled by the steady strokes of Wanda’s other hand against her scalp. She imagined her power like Wanda’s, and stared at her red laced fingers, wondering...what if...she could....relax and mimic her work?

She concentrated as hard as was possible at that moment. What if she could...

“ Allie,” Wanda said in a soft voice. “ Do you need more water?”

Allie shot up, eyes half-closed, and blinked.

“ No...yes...I guess...” she said, meeting her eyes. “ I do, I think...but...I like this feeling...”

Wanda looked at her with hard eyes. “ Drink some water, sweetie, before you get sick.”

She pulled herself to her feet, not noticing the strange look in Wanda’s eyes.

“ You make it by yourself?” Steve asked.

Allie waved her off, even as the room was wobbling.

“ Yes, I can,” she said. “ Don’t worry. I’ll be back.”

She took a few stumbling steps towards the doorway. Faintly, she heard the words of a deep voice behind her and saw a figure at her side. Large and looming. A hand was gently resting on her waist guiding her firmly and helping her stand up.

“You okay?” he said, and she turned to see blue eyes framed by long dark hair.

“Bucky,” she said breathlessly.

In the hall, she blinked and was suddenly at the entrance to the kitchen. Had she walked all the way here? There was a hand at her side and the sound of heavy footsteps. She turned to see Bucky still with her, looking forward. 

“ Come on,’ he said. “ We don’t want you having a hangover from hell tomorrow.” 

A few glasses of water later, with a night raid of the cabinet for snacks, Allie was a little soberer. Though part of her didn’t want to be. She wanted to be back wedged between Sam and Wanda, feeling Sam’s warmth on one side, and Wanda’s touch on the other. 

Why did she...like that so much? Being so close to people, physically, but only certain people. She figured that tonight had been because of the liquor, and how sensitive her skin was now, how she felt with fingertips moving across her skin. Sam had been warm and comforting. Wanda had felt electric across her skin.

“ Hey,” said a voice. Allie looked up to see Bucky on the other side of the counter, his blue eyes focused on her. “ You okay, kitten?”

“ Bucky, do you ever just want to be touched?” Allie blurted out. 

Bucky frowned, confusion on his face.

“ Uh, I mean the...general you,” Allie mumbled.

“ What do you mean?” Bucky said.

“ I just...I noticed...how much I...like being touched sometimes, “ Allie replied. “ Like...this...” she ran her fingertips across his hand. He looked at her, his breath hitching. Allie slunk around the counter, running her hands up Bucky’s arms.   
“ You know, just...feeling someone warm against you...or near you...But sometimes you want...something more?”  
Her heart was pounding as she stared at his lips. She leaned forward and attempted to press her lips against his. He turned his head, one arm gently on her waist. 

“ Allie,” Bucky muttered. “ I don’t think....you know...we should...”

Realization washed over her, fast and icy.   
“ Oh...shit...sorry...I’ll...I just...” she pulled away, tearing herself from his grasp. 

“ Allie, wait,” he said, leaning forward. “ I’m sorry, I just...I didn’t want...

“ How about some coffee?” she said, going to the coffee machine. 

“ Uh, sure,” he said, sitting back.

She brewed them two cups, stirring her power into the mugs along with the sugar and cream. 

“ Sobriety,” she said, taking a sip. “Wake up and wash away...”  
She grabbed her cup and walked over to the far corner of the lounge area, sinking on a couch.

“ I’m sorry...I just...” Bucky said, sitting across from her. He was just following her around at this point, a large sweet puppy at her heels.

“ I just...look, I don’t want you doing anything you...don’t want, or can’t remember.”

Allie sighed, looking into her cup. “ I thought we both...wanted it.”

“Allie,” he said, his tone a little firmer.

She sipped at her coffee, the warmth of the liquor draining from her. She had only had alcohol a few times before, but this time was so nice and intoxicating and she wanted to curl up and...

She looked over at Bucky. They had both been quietly nursing their cups, bringing their senses back. He was holding his cup with shaky hands. Allie lowered hers.

“ Buck?” she asked slowly. “ You okay?”

He wouldn’t look at her. For a moment, he looked down then back in her direction, eyes glassy.

“ I’m sorry,” he said. “ I just, I know what it’s like to do things with clouded judgement...or no judgment at all, so I didn’t want to do anything with you when you were like that.”

I’m a fucking idiot, Allie thought.

“ Fuck,” she said. “ I’m sorry. It didn’t even occur to me. I just... I needed some liquid courage, and I thought maybe if I was brave enough...then I thought...”

She sighed. 

“ We don’t have to do anything, Bucky,” she said. “ We can just talk.”

“ But I do want to...do something with you,” he said, sitting up. “ Just...I didn’t want to be a drunk mistake in the morning.”

She looked at him with wide eyes. The laugher tumbled from her lips before she could stop herself. 

Bucky looked hurt.

“ I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she said quickly, covering her mouth. “ It’s just that...how can you think that you would be my drunk mistake? I mean...you have seen yourself, right?”

“ What?” Bucky said.

“ I know looks aren’t everything, but damn Bucky, you are... you’re hot. You are sweet and caring and hot, and I’m just...I’m just a chubby chick who is tall and has big tits. I’m the drunken mistake guys talk about at bars. I’ve...been the consolation prize a few times.” She sighed, looking down. “ A good time one night and a forgotten phone number the next...”

She closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears. This was not how she saw the night going. Bucky found himself thinking of those men from the gym, and their shitty comments. How often had she heard something like that in her life? 

Allie was sipping her coffee when Bucky’s hand closed over hers, and the cup was set on the table. He was next to her, resting a hand on her cheek. He turned her head to him with a firm grasp.

“Allie,” he said in a loud whisper. “ You are not just some chubby chick with big tits, dammit. Don’t say that about yourself, please. Yes, you are curvy, and you have... a lovely chest and legs for days. But you are more than that. You are...you are amazing. You are sweet and kind and so fucking beautiful and I...”

He glanced from her eyes to her lips. His fingers were slipping into her hair. She wrapped her hand around his wrist, leaning into his touch. He pressed his forehead against hers.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said in barely a whisper.

Allie reached down for his other hand, the metallic one, cool to the touch. She rested it on her thigh, feeling the chill through her dress. Bucky closed his eyes, squeezing her thigh gently. 

“James,” she said. He looked at her with soft wide eyes. “ What do you really want?” 

“ You. I want you, Allie,” he breathed against her. “ I want you so bad. I know it’s...kinda impulsive and we are still getting to know each other, but...” His voice was low and husky, dripping with desire. Allie tugged his hand higher up her thigh, pushing the fabric back farther. 

“ Then take me,” Allie said, her heart pounding. “ Have me.”

They came together slowly, his lips pressing against her. The kiss deepened as his hand pushed higher, sliding underneath her dress. He leaned her back on the couch, dragging kisses down her neck and across her chest. He tugged a sleeve down her shoulder, wanting more access to her body. 

“ Wait,” she said softly. Bucky pulled back. Had he been too rough?

“Let’s get to a room,” she said. “ Yours.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. Bucky picked her up and carried her over one shoulder. Allie let out a lusty giggle, covering her mouth to stop from making too much noise. Bucky’s footsteps were like a cat when he wanted them to be, and as they slipped by the other bedroom, he was quiet as possible until they had passed through his apartment door. 

He tossed her gently on the bed. Allie landed with a soft bounce. 

His room was shades of browns and grey, with a few hints of color in blankets and curtains. There was a laptop at the corner desk and some strange tech devices along the top shelf of the desk. A picture hung in the corner of some faraway land, and the image of a white wolf was on another picture next to it, with a black panther in a third. Allie was momentarily distracted by these little colorful additions until her attention was brought back to the matter at hand. 

Bucky shut the door with his foot, eyes glued to her. He was tugging his clothes off, stripping down to a white t-shirt and boxers. 

Something struck Allie as she saw him. 

“ I...can I use your bathroom?” she said, shooting up and going into the bathroom. 

Allie stood in front of the mirror and tugged off her dress, revealing her black bra and matching underwear. Nerves were starting to take over, and she looked down at her stomach. She folded her arms around herself, painfully aware of how much she weighed. She chewed on her bottom lip, insecurities rising in her mind. What if Bucky saw her and decided he didn’t want to do anything anymore? She can’t blame him...

Ugh, was she crying? She reached up to bat at her eyes. This was ridiculous. 

“ You okay?” Bucky asked through the door. 

“ Yeah, just...uh...cleaning off my makeup,” she lied, grabbing one of his smaller towels and wetting it. She barely had any on, but it was a good excuse nonetheless.

“ Allie,” his voice came through the door. “ I just...look, if you don’t want to do anything, we don’t have to. I mean it. I want you to be comfortable with this, and 100% on board. I am, but I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything. And if you are...worried about how you look...I meant what I said. And not just trying to get into your panties or something...you know...I...uh...”

Allie smiled at the door. Holy shit, he was so damn sweet.

She opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom, biting her lip as she met his eyes.

“ I was just...I was shy about you seeing me...I mean...you are so...and I’m...”

“ Lovely?” Bucky finished. 

She smiled.

“Oh, uh...I got a condom because I wasn’t sure if...you know. However, I had to get it from Steve, so...he may know something is up.”

“Steve has sex?” Allie blurted out. They both laughed as she followed him back to the bed. The bathroom light was cut off, leaving the room dark except for moonlight spilling through the window. 

“ I mean it,” he said again. “ We don’t have to do anything.”

Allie reached out, hooking her finger in the band of Bucky’s boxes, and tugged him forward. 

“Well, I know we both have been checked by the doctors here, and I know I have an active birth control implant, so...if you feel more comfortable with a condom, that’s okay, but if you want to forgo it, I think we’ve taken all the precautions...”

She leaned over to kiss him and pulled one of his hands between her legs. His knuckles grazed her, feeling her heat and the wetness of her panties. 

“ Oh...fuck...” Bucky moaned against her lips. She peppered kisses across his collar bone and down the side of his neck. Bucky moaned as she pushed him back on the bed, pushing her hand up to his chest. He held on to her waist as she sat on his lap, his growing erection pressing against her. She rolled her hips just slightly, eliciting a groan of pleasure from him. 

She tugged on the edge of his shirt, and Bucky went tense.

“You okay?” she said. 

“Uh...yeah,” he muttered, sitting up so he could pull it off. She wiggled down to his thighs, studying his expression. 

She dragged her fingers down his bare chest, studying his muscles under her hands. She had her suspicions on what had made him hesitate, but didn’t know how to ask. He seemed to enjoy her fingers everywhere, over his pecs, his abdomen, his neck, and arms. When they trailed over his scars, where flesh met metal, he tensed up.

“ Do you...not want me to...” she asked. 

“ No...it’s okay,” he said, trying to relax.

She thought about asking him about them. How they felt, how did he feel about them. Instead, she leaned forward, and trailed kisses across his shoulder, first his right, then his left.   
He groaned, hands around her waist tightening their grip. She ran her tongue just barely over the scarred flesh and he bucked underneath her. She gave a small yelp and giggled. 

“ Did I hurt you?” she asked.

“ No, that just...feels...sensitive,” he said. “ No one’s...ever done that before.”

She kissed him again. They shifted around, discarding the rest of their clothes, and he laid her gently back on his mattress, trailing kissing down her chest. He took one of her nipples in his mouth, tugging it between his teeth carefully.

“ How’s that?” he asked.

“ Ah...I like it...” she said. He did it again, firmer. She gave a small gasp.

“ Oh, uh...not so hard,” she muttered, a little laugh at the end. He looked up with soft eyes.

“ Sorry,” he said quickly.

“It’s okay,” she said, brushing her hand through his hair. They continued for a moment, him exploring her body, working his way lower. She was too nervous to let him kiss her down there, and he had only nodded in understanding.

“ I’m sorry,” she muttered, but he shook his head. 

“ We are figuring things out,” he said softly, placing another kiss on her stomach. “ Now...what would you like?”

“ For you to fuck me,” she said in a soft voice. Bucky looked up, surprised. She smirked at him. 

“ Yes, ma’am,” he said, running his hand down her chest. He looked her in the eyes as he pressed his finger slowly between her folds, slipping it in. She gasped as he pumped it in and out.

“ Damn...you are so wet and...tight...” he groaned, leaning down.  
“ You ready?”

She nodded. “ Yeah. I’m ready.”

He lined himself up with her entrance, his tip pressing against her. 

“ Let me know if it hurts too much,” he said softly. 

She nodded, trying to relax and spread herself more for him. He slid into her agonizingly slow, inch by inch. Allie gave a little gasp as he pressed past her entrance and slid inside her. She whimpered, a soft tender noise as he began to move back and forth. He grasped the headboard with his metal hand, leaning over her. He kissed her, deep and slow, savoring her. Allie dragged her nails over his skin as he rolled his hips, pulling sweet noises from her. It felt good. So fucking good, and she wanted more.

“ Ah...Bucky...more...please...” she begged.

“ Ah...I have to be careful, kitten,” he whispered. “ I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I know...” she breathed, even as she felt an orgasm building in her. He filled her, stretched her to the meeting place of pleasure and pain and it was delicious. But she wanted more. So much more.

Her nails bit at his back, and he struggled to keep himself at a calm even pace. He couldn't lose control with her. She was tender, she would bruise, she would break.

He couldn’t do that to her.

And yet...

Part of him wanted to. He wanted to be free with her, see what would come to the surface if he dug deep enough. 

Bucky sped up, and her whimpers because gasps and cries of pleasure. She moaned his name, desperate and wanting. He went faster, his metal hand still firmly on the headboard and nowhere near her. His other hand was on her hip, lifting her up and against him. Her walls were starting to tighten around him. Closer, he thought. Both of them were getting closer.

Even as he went faster, Allie could tell Bucky was fighting to control himself. She wanted him to go deep, to fuck her and use her hard, but that wasn’t right. Now right now. This was new, brand new, and the last thing they needed was to be completely untethered. He wanted her, loved how she felt around him, and didn’t want to hurt her. Feeling his shoulders, his muscles, she knew he could punish her if he wanted. She panted, feeling this dark side start to well up. Oh, wow, she was...wanting something dark and dangerous and...  
The build-up in her was reaching a crescendo. 

“ Bucky...” she managed to say. She looked in his eyes, dark with lust. Sweat shimmered on his brow. He was gone for her right now. 

“I’m gonna...fuck...ah.... she started, her body tensing. He grunted, brows furrowed as he followed her over the edge.   
They broke, pleasure washing over both of them. Allie stifled a cry with her one hand, her other digging into Bucky’s arm. He barely felt the bite of her nails as euphoria flooded his senses, unfurling inside of her.

They pulled apart moments later, Bucky falling back against the bed beside her. The hot air was filled with the sound of their strained breathing. Allie closed her eyes, relishing in the rush going through her body. 

Allie made another strained moan, biting her hand to muffle the noise.

“ You okay?” he said, concerned.

She nodded. “Yeah, just...aftershocks,” she answered. She wiggled across the bed and sprawled against his chest. He tugged her close with his arm, wrapping the blanket around her shoulder. 

She pressed against him, soft and pulsing with heat. Nuzzling against his neck, he hugged her close as her breathing started to slow. Soon, she was fast asleep.

Bucky stared out the window, a concern already growing in his mind. What would come of this? 

He sighed, dragging his fingertips up and down her arm as sleep began to overtake him. No, he would let himself be happy at this moment. Worrying could wait. He turned to kiss her forehead, smelling warm vanilla as he drifted off to sleep.


	11. Meanwhile, In the Deep South...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Sorry for the long wait. I realize I do not know how to inform my readers of things, so I made a Tumblr to try to make announcements on. Anyways, on to chapter 11.**
> 
> **A/N: Contains mentions of blood**

“ We are almost there, ” the woman’s voice broke the silence of the car cabin.

Tilly merely nodded, hands still gripping the steering wheel as she drove. The older woman sitting in the passenger seat looked up to the rearview mirror, eyes lingering on the backseat.

“Vert,” she spoke in a sharp tone.

Vert snapped awake from where she had been dozing in the backseat, muttering, “ Yes, Nana?” as she sat up straight.

“ Wake up,” the woman replied, her tone growing softer. “ We are almost there.”

Vert glanced out the window, a soft yawn escaping her lips. Dark forests filled with strange flat shadows rolled past under a sky stained pinkish-orange in the early throes of dawn. They had driven most of the night.

“ So where are we going?” Vert asked.

“ To see a magic man,” Nana responded, a smirk playing on her thin lips. “ To help us with our predicament.”

Tilly turned the car off the main road. The crunch of dirt and gravel replaced the smooth feel of asphalt as they turned down an unpaved road. Tilly slowed down to avoid the worst of the rough terrain. In the brightening sky, Vert was making out more of what her sleepy mind mistook for flat shadows. It was water, dark, and still. It faintly reminded of obsidian mirrors she had once seen in a gift shop out west. Cypress trees towered out of the swamp, their knees breaching the surface.

“ Who would live way out here?” Vert muttered, thinking her voice was too low to hear.

“ An old acquaintance,” Nana replied. “ And a magic worker who will do nearly anything for the right price.”

Vert continued to ponder the situation as they drove in silence, feeling herself drift in and out of sleep. They had returned home as Nana had instructed, and other than a sharp dressing down for not alerting her of problems sooner, Nana hadn’t been as mad as they thought she would be. Though it still pained her to disappoint the older woman after all this time, Vert was glad for the weight off of her shoulder. She was sure Brute’s pitiful appearance helped their case, his body marred up from whatever magic that girl had. Nana had done her best on the wounds but could only close them and prevent infection, but not abate the pain he was still in occasionally.

“ You should have told me sooner,” she said, patching him up. Brute had been silent, obedient to her prods and pokes. He always became a big kitten in her care. Vert found it both annoying and amusing.

Truly, she had just been happy to be back home. She only got to spend one night in her bed, however, when Tilly woke her up and said Nana wanted them to travel with her.  
Vert glanced over at Tilly, her dark brown hair pulled back tight. She had a black hat tugged down on her head and occasionally reached up to scratch at it. She hated wearing it, but she really couldn’t drive without its help.

The car drew to a stop, and Vert looked up. In the dawn’s rising light there was a wooden house, several stories tall and half-hidden behind moss-covered trees. Tilly turned tight in the front yard, a patchwork of dirt and grass tufts, facing the car back down the rustic driveway.

Vert smelled the swamp as soon as they got out of the car. The smell of wet rotting earth mixed with something that smelled spicy and rosy. The morning air was cool against her skin, and she buttoned up the thin green jacket she wore. Somewhere in the distance, a bird called out, its melancholy song echoing through the murky land. The spiced flowery scent grew as they approached the house. The door swung open.

“ Do my eyes deceive me?” said a hoarse voice. A man walked out, his skin dark as earth and eyes to match. He wore a dark shirt, only half-buttoned up, and old jeans with threadbare patches. A tangle of necklaces hung from around his neck, some with the unmistakable yellowish ivory of real bone. He had a knife in his hand, wiping it with a dark rag, and looked them all up and down.

“ Jericho,” Nana said, tapping her cane on the ground. A black cat slipped into view, stepping from behind the woman’s long dark skirt. The man watched it with weary eyes.  
“ What do you want, Agatha?” he said flatly. Vert walked to Tilly’s side, looking between the two.

“ I come in peace,” she said. “ I require your skills. And your discretion.”

“Do you have payment for my skills?” he asked.

“ Of course,” she said, reaching into her pocket. She flashed a wad of cash at him. “ If this will do for you. I know you have a taste for things more...exotic.” She spoke the last word with an oily inflection.

Jericho sucked in a hard breath. “Cash is fine.” He said. “And as for my discretion...as long as you have payment, that’s all I care about.”  
He turned to walk back inside, waving them in.

The front room was barer than Vert had imagined. Some furniture scattered about the room, a fireplace with a wide mantle covered in an assortment of items. There were jars of different varieties along the wall. Some books and a scattering of candles littered the coffee table, the wood underneath wax-splattered and stained. A doorway lead to the back with a beaded curtain and another doorway lead into a kitchen.

“Have a seat, girls,” Nana said, waving to the couch. “It’s okay.”

Vert and Tilly sat down. It was rather comfortable, squishy, and gave away easy to their forms.

“ So what brings you out here to my swamp?” the man asked, leaning against the wall.

“ I’ll be frank,” Nana said, sitting down in a high-backed wooden chair. “There is a little birdie I’ve been keeping up with, and lately she has slipped my grasp. Normally, I can always find her again, but not this time. I cannot track her, or pick up her trail and it seems impossible to find her.”

“ So why did you come to see me?” the man asked gruffly.

Nana leveled her gaze at him. “Because, Jericho, you deal with the impossible. At least, you used to be.”

He snorted, sitting back. “ What do you have that I can go on? I cannot go in blind with nothing to grasp on.”

“ She is a young Black woman with curly hair. Goes by the name Allie,” she remarked.

He shook his head. “ Need more than that.”

“ I didn’t say that was all that I had,” Nana clarified. She looked over to Tilly. The girl was looking out the window, reaching under her hat to scratch at her head.

“Tilly,” Nana said, reaching out her hand.

“ Oh, sorry” she responded, turning around. The girl reached into her jacket and pulled out a plastic bag. Inside was something black and gnarled, melted and tangled with bits of plastic and hair.

“We believe this was her hairbrush,” Nana said, passing the back to Jericho. The man looked at it with skeptical eyes.

“It was an unfortunate incident,” Nana said. “Luckily, no one was hurt.”

Her smirk told him otherwise, but he didn’t bother to ask any further. That wad of money in her pocket was something that he needed badly.

“Alright,” he said, examining the strange artifact. “Let me see what I can get off of this.”

He walked through the beaded curtain into the neighboring room. After a few moments, he returned. “Alright, so I could get a few hairs from it, but not much. Enough for one spell. So what do you want? I can scry for her, or try to make a tracking spell.”

“ Not sure if a tracking spell will do any good,” Nana said. “ How about scrying?”

“Alright then,” he said. “ I can have a look-see. Gonna take some time, though. I need to gather some ingredients.”

“Like what?” she asked.

“ Blood,” he said. “ Fresh blood. Something from the swamp.”

Nana looked over to Tilly. “ Lucky for you, I have an excellent hunter with me.”

Tilly had her hands under her hat again, scratching furiously. Vert tugged on her arm to stop her.

“ Take that thing off, Tilly. Jericho has seen worse than you.”

She stopped, looking back between the two of them, then reached up and removed her hat. A pair of antlers, thick and covered in patches of ebony velvet, emerged much bigger than what the hat should be able to hold.

“ Damn,” he said. “ You keep stranger company now than I knew you to before.”  
\-----------  
In the mid-morning light, Vert and Tilly were walking down the path, trying to make their way through the swampland. Tilly had a composite bow slung over her back with a few arrows and tramped along a worn path, Vert close behind with a steel bucket at her side.

“ Ah, so many damn mosquitoes,” Vert whined, swatting at her face. She should have worn something other than sneakers. Her shoes were caking with black muck as they traveled down the damn path, the mud squelching under her steps.

“ Hush,” Tilly said. “You are gonna scare all the creatures away.”

“ Hey,” Vert said, in a smaller voice. “ Has...Nana said anything to you about what she plans to do when she catches this girl?”

Tilly snorted. “ Why would she tell me anything? She talks to you more about that kind of stuff than me.”

Vert went quiet for a moment. She was right, but she had had this conversation with some of the others back at home, and no one could give her a straight answer.

“All she ever said was that there were big plans in the works, and she needed her for...something. You know how Nana is. She doesn’t tell us what or where just tells us where to go.”

“Yeah, well I’m happy for that,” Tilly said. “ Imagine if she pulled us off helping with this altogether.”

“Sometimes I wish she would,” Vert admitted.

Tilly paused and turned to look at her.

“Are you serious?” she said. “ It’s an honor to be chosen to work for her. Or did you forget where we were before she took care of us?”

Vert gritted her teeth. “ Of course I remember.”

“You know what Father would do to us if he got ahold of us again? If we ever tried to go back home?”

Vert shook her head. “ Yeah, yeah, don’t remind me. “

Tilly walked on, Vert following.

“ Seriously,” she said in a soft voice. “ Why don’t we ask her? She isn’t like Father. She will answer us.”

Vert sighed, considering it. She was trying to be a leader, after all. Nana had put her in charge of the group for a reason, right? Well, just the four of them. The other three...Vert shook her head. She didn’t want to think about those psychotic assholes. No matter how annoying Brute was, at least he wasn’t like those others.  
Tilly stopped, raising her hand.

“What,” Vert said, but quickly fell silent and looked towards where she was pointing.

“Found our prey,” she said in a low voice.

Vert remained silent as Tilly loaded the bow, but turned her head as the arrow flew, finding its mark.  
\--------  
They made it back to the cabin sometime afternoon. Vert was nowhere near as strong as Tilly was, so she took to carrying the bow and arrow while Tilly had strung up their prey to do the bleeding. It had been messy work, and in annoyance Tilly had discarded her pants and shoes, revealing her true lower half: mud-splattered furry legs, long and angled like a gazelle. She was at home here, Vert realized, among the waters and trees and murky land. The rawness of the surrounding nature invigorated her.  
Tilly carried the sloshing bucket of blood, setting it on the bottom step. Nana stood on the porch, a look of pride on her face. Jericho stared with awe.

“Is this enough?” she said, slightly out of breath.

“ Should be,” he said, grabbing it off the step. There were no questions about where it had come from or Tilly’s full appearance. Whoever this man was had obviously seen worse than them. Maybe even done worse than they had.

“ Good job, Tilly,” Nana said, giving a half-smile.

Tilly sighed and nodded with pride. She lived for the hunt, Vert thought. She wasn’t the type to ask too many questions. She wanted to be told where to go and who to shoot.  
Jericho let them watch as he did the spell, though they had to promise to be silent. He drew all the curtains, tossing the room into darkness except for a few candles. He pulled out a candle from a box. It was a rich purple color, with what looked like herbs and spices mixed into the wax. Vert leaned forward in her seat, wanting to get a better look. She didn’t mind being quiet. This was something she wanted to see. Magic. She faintly thought of their father, hand how much she wished he had taught her some of his power. Thoughts of her father, however, came with hard emotions, so she pushed them away and focused on what was in front of her.

“ Not a word from anyone until I’m done,” holding a bowl in one hand and a jar of the gator’s blood in the other. He walked to a mirror on the wall, a small mantle in front of it, and set the bowl down. With a white chalk marker, he drew symbols on the mirror, muttering words they didn’t know. He took the candle and set it down in the bowl, pressing it down hard in the middle, before filling the rest of the bowl with the blood.

A match strike and the candle was lit.

As he continued to mutter words, the temperature in the room dropped. Vert watched as he closed his eyes and opened them slowly, staring into the mirror. In the dim light, she could see his eyes had turned milky white.

She gasped and quickly covered her mouth. The room was silent except for the sound of his wooden bracelets and low mutterings under his breath. She watched as the white-eyed man pulled hairs from a satchel and dropped them in the blood. The coppery scent was becoming overwhelming in the small space. The blood had boiled as the candle wax spilled over its side and dripped into the liquid. She turned to look at Nana, trying to catch her eye to see if this was normal. Nana focused on Jericho, one hand petting the black cat sleeping in her lap.

The room fell silent, the air heavy and thick with what Vert knew to be growing magic. It pushed even the sound of their breathing down. She wasn’t used to this kind of power, thick as the swamp itself. She felt a flush of heat against the cold, like the rush of warmth after drinking.  
The flame of the candle shot straight into the air, blazing brightly before going out. Jericho fell backward, nearly hitting his head on the table in the middle of the room. Vert and Tilly jumped up, helping the man to his feet.

“ I’m fine,” he said, pushing himself up. He turned to face Nana.

“ What did you see?” she said bluntly.

“ Not much,” he admitted. “ I saw her, just slightly. I only got a little information, before I was blocked by...something. Or someone.”  
He blinked hard, his eyes returned to normal. "Someone doesn’t want you finding this birdie of yours.”

Nana’s eyes had lit up.“ What’s the information?”

He told her. It was only two words, but she gave him a devilish grin, rising to her feet.

“ That’s enough for me to go on,” she said with a glee that made her seem more witchy. Vert cracked open the front door, letting out the smell of smoke and blood into the swamp air. Daylight flooded into the room, casting them all in a harsh light.

Jericho opened his mouth to speak when she took the wad of cash from her bag and tossed it on the table.

“Payment as promised.”

He bent down with shaking fingers to pick it up, still regaining control of himself.

“Thank you. You’ve been of great help.”

She turned to usher the girls out the door with curt goodbyes and walked with a newfound speed in her gait to the car. The cat trotted to keep up, slipping towards the front of her steps. The woman didn’t falter, and the creatures disappeared in a sweep of her skirt.  
\----------  
As they drove off, Vert let the adrenaline still running through her system give her courage to speak.

“ Why are we after this girl so hard?” she asked Nana. “ Honestly?”

“Because, Vert,” Nana responded. “ This girl is going to be our ticket to going back home.”

“But Father had said-” she started.

“ Trust me, when we show up with this girl, not even your Father is going to be able to stop us from being accepted back into the town.”

She looked at her in the rearview mirror.

“ You want to go home, right?”

Vert nodded and set back, staring outside the window at the landscape. Nana turned on the radio, singing along to an old song Vert nor Tilly knew.  
What did she have planned?

Back at the swamp house, Jericho leaned against one of the old columns of the porch and watched as they drove off into the afternoon. He counted the money, eyes wide with the amount. Her excitement at the two words surprised him, given what she had paid, but it seemed like it was enough for whatever she had wanted.

What the hell did “New York” mean to her, anyway?


	12. Art Break: Bookstore photo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapters 8, 9, and 10 are underway. Here is a little art break while I prepare those! Thank you all for your patience and comments and I really appreciate you all reading my stories. I had some time to work on art, so I drew up a cute picture of Allie having her picture taken by Wanda while out in a bookstore.


End file.
